In a privileged
position on the northeastern coast of the Iberian
peninsula and the shores of the Mediterranean, Barcelona is
the second largest city in Spain in
both size and population. It is also the capital of Catalonia,
1 of the 17 Autonomous Communities that
make up Spain.
Barcelona offers
to its visitors the possibility to walk along the romans
ruins or the medieval buildings and also, the districts
of the catalonyan modernism, with their impressive
style.
The capital
of Catalonia is unequivocally a Mediterranean
city, not only because of its geographic
location but also and above all because of its history,
tradition and cultural influences. The documented
history of the city dates back to the founding of
a Roman colony on its soil in the
second century B.C. Modern Barcelona experienced
spectacular growth and economic revival at the onset
of industrialization during the second half of the
19th century. The 1888 World's Fair became
a symbol of the capacity for hard work and the international
outlook projected by the city. Culture and the arts
flourished in Barcelona and in all
of Catalonia; the splendor achieved
by Catalonian modernism is one of
the most patent displays.
Barcelona,
more than just a single city, is really a collection
of multi-faceted and diverse cities. The visitor unfamiliar
with its history might be surprised that such a modern
and enterprising city preserves its historic
Gothic center almost intact, or by the curious
contrast between the maze of narrow streets and the
grid-like layout of the Eixample, the urban planning "Enlargement"
project of the end of the 19th century.
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