Barcelona

Barcelona, 1,6 million people, is one of the most important urban areas of the whole Spain. It's the capital of the Catalonia region and the second city of the nation.

It is located in the north east of Spain about 160 km south of Pyrenees and faces the Mediterranean sea.Its geographical position gives the city a typical Mediterranean weather with humid winters and dry summers.

According to the tradition Barcelona,previously known as Barcino, was founded by the Carthaginian Barca but the legend has never been proved. It is probable instead that the first inhabitants were people of Iberian origin. However the city was invaded by the Romans that turned it into a military camp and later taken by the Visigoths, the Moors, the Francs and later it joined the kingdom of Aragona in 1137 when it lived its most flourish times thanks mainly to the importance of its port.

The fourteenth century was a period of decay for Barcelona that lost its independence after the marriage between Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castilia.

The centuries XIX and XX where periods of growth for the economy of Barcelona that unfortunately was victim of Franco's invasion. Franco's regime abolished the political institutions and the use of the Catalan language, that was the official language of the city. Only in the '70s the Catalonia region could have back some of the autonomy lost during Franco's regime.

The beauty of Barcelona is not a mystery especially if we look at its streets and boulevards. The main one is for most of tourists the Ramblas, a boulevard where people walk and admire palaces such as the Virreina Palace, the market of Boqueria and the famous theatre El Liceu or enjoy the shows of many buskers and artists. At an end of the Ramblas there is the old port with a statue of Columbus pointing the sea.

Inside Barcelona several wonderful architectural works such as the Gothic cathedral dedicated to Saint Eulalia, protector of the City.

Barcelona is also famous to be the city of artists like Picasso to whom a museum is dedicated and Antoni Gaudi that leaves to the city the wonderful Sagrada Familia, anever ended cathedral.

During the last decades Barcelona is again the focus of attention of sport with the Olympic games in 1992 and in culture hosting the universal forum of cultures in 2004.

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