The history of Barcelona began 2000 years ago with the Iberian settlement of Barkeno. Its easily defensible location on a coastal plain between the Collserola ridge and the Mediterranean Sea on the way from Central Europe to the Iberian Peninsula has ensured the importance of this city throughout the ages.
Origins
Little is known about the origins of Barcelona. From the time before the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, artefacts from the Neolithic and Copper Age can be found on the plains of Barcelona. Later, in the third and second centuries B.C., the countryside was settled by the Laietani, an Iberian people who lived in Barkeno on Táber Hill (today's Ciutat Vella) and in Laie (or Laiesques) on Montjuïc. In both settlements, coins were minted that are still preserved today. Around the same time, a small Greek colony called Kallipolis was established in the region, but its exact location is unknown. In 218 BC, at the beginning of the Second Punic War, the area was conquered by the Carthaginians led by Hannibal Barkas. Until that time, the northern border of Carthaginian territories ran along the Ebro River, 150 kilometres to the south. This military occupation is often referred to as the foundation of Barcelona.
Founding Legends
There are at least two other versions of the foundation of Barcelona, originating with historians from the fifteenth century. One attributes the founding to the Carthaginian general Hamilkar Barkas, the father of Hannibal. He is said to have founded the city around 230 BC as Barkenon, Barcelino, or Barci Nova. Because of the similarities in the names of the Carthaginian dynasty Barkas and the present city, it is thought that the name Barcelona may date back to the founding or conquest of this settlement by the Barkas dynasty.
The second version (undoubtedly from the realm of myth) claims that the demigod Heracles founded the city around 1153 BC (i.e. some 400 years before the founding of Rome). During the fourth of his labors, Heracles joined Jason and the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece. When one of the nine ships on which they traveled the Mediterranean was lost because of a storm on the Catalan coast, the hero set out to find it and found it by a small hill, wrecked but with the crew rescued. Heracles was said to have been so fascinated by the beauty of the area that he founded a town called Barca Nona (Italian for Ninth Ship). This is contradicted by the fact that at that time on the Iberian Peninsula neither Latin nor the Romance languages (to which the Italian language belongs) were spoken, which only came into being many centuries later with the spread of Vulgar Latin by the Roman Empire.
Among the Romans
There is little knowledge of the period between 218 BC and the turn of the century. The Roman Republic first took control of the region and then conquered the rest of the Iberian Peninsula in the Cantabrian Wars, which ended under Augustus in 19 BC. The northeast of the peninsula was the first region to fall under Roman control, and therefore served as a base for further conquest. Although the Romans settled in Barcino, it was much less important than the main cities of Tarraco and Caesaraugusta. The name Barcino was decided at the end of the reign of Augustus, Rome's first emperor. It was short for Colonia Faventia Iulia Augusta Pia Barcino, founded in 133 BC. As a colony, it was intended to provide land for retired soldiers. The Roman geographer Pomponius Mela reports Barcino as a number of smaller settlements under the control of Tarragona (Tarraco). Nevertheless, the strategic position of the town on an arm of the Via Augusta allowed its economic development, and it thus enjoyed tax exemption.
In the time of the Emperor Augustus, Barcino had the appearance of a castrum (i.e. military camp) with its usual rectangular main streets, the Cardo running north-south and the Decumanus east-west. The forum (today the Plaça de Sant Jaume) was located on Mont Tàber, which is now the highest elevation in the Barri Gòtic. The walls stretched for 1.5 kilometres and enclosed 12 hectares. By the second century, the city had grown into a proper oppidum and had a population of between 3500 and 5000 people. The economy was based on the cultivation of the surrounding land and viticulture. The archaeological finds of this period (sculptures, mosaics, amphorae) testify to a relatively rich population, although the city did not have any of the important public buildings, such as an amphitheatre or a circus, that existed in more important Roman cities, such as Tarragona. There was only one public building, and that was the temple dedicated to Augustus (Temple of Augustus), probably built at the beginning of the first century. It was quite large - measured by the size of Barcino - 35 metres long and 17.5 metres wide and surrounded by Corinthian columns.
As the decline of the empire approached, the first Germanic invasions also occurred around the year 250, after which the fortifications were strengthened in the later years of the third century under Claudius II. The new double wall was at least two meters high (in some places up to eight meters) and lined with 78 towers, 18 meters high. These new fortifications were the strongest in this Roman province and would later be important in Barcino's increasing importance compared to Tarragona.
The first Christians
The first Christian communities in the province of Tarragona were founded during the third century. The diocese of Tarragona came into being in 259, when its bishop, Saint Fructuosus, and the deacons Augurius and Eulogius were killed by order of Emperor Valerian. The Christian community of Barcino seems to have been established in the later half of the 3rd century. The persecution of Christians under Diocletian at the beginning of the fourth century resulted in a martyr in the Barcino region, Saint Cucufato. Allegedly of African descent, Cucufato worked in some areas of the province (Barcino, Egara - now Terrassa - and Iluro - now Mataró) before being crucified in Castrum Octavium (now Sant Cugat del Vallès near Barcelona). The Blessed Virgin Eulalia is also said to be a martyr from Barcelona. The Edict of Milan under Emperor Constantine (313) granted Christians religious freedom in the Roman Empire. The first known bishop of Barcino was Pretextat (died about 360), who attended the Synod of Sofia in 347. Pacian and Lampius (died 400) followed him. Pacian is especially known for his works De baptismo ("On Baptism") and Libellus exhortatorius ad poenitentium ("On Penance"). The first church, the Basílica de la Santa Creu on the site of the modern cathedral, was built at the end of the 4th century.
Under the Visigoths
At the end of the 5th century, the fall of the Western Roman Empire began to be felt by Germanic peoples, who made some serious attacks on the Empire. In 410, Rome was conquered under the Visigoth Alaric I. Alaric's stepbrother and successor Athaulf led the Visigothic forces into southern Gaul, and after defeat by Roman forces at Narbona (414) he fled across the Pyrenees to the province of Tarragona. Athaulf established his seat at Barcino, where he was murdered by his own troops in 415.
The death of Athaul changed the relations between Romans and Visigoths. Under Walia (415-419), they became confederates to control the other Germanic tribes in Spain. Walia was so successful in this that Emperor Flavius Honorius extended the territory of the Visigoths to include the provinces of Aquitania and Gallia Narbonensis. Walia had its seat at Tolosa (now Toulouse). Barcino, however, remained an important centre of the Visigothic kingdom due to its excellent defensive walls.
After the death of Alaric II at the Battle of Vouillé against the Franks (507), his successor Gesaleic (507-511) made Barcino the capital of his empire. Barcino returned to its role as a provincial city with the elevation of Toledo to capital under Leovigild in 573. The Visigoths represented only a minority of the urban population, but held positions of power. The first rulers were initially Arians, but tolerated that most of the inhabitants were Catholic. The religious center changed from the Basílica de la Santa Cruz (which became an Arian temple) to the church of Sant Just. Catholic councils were held in 540 under Bishop Nebridi and in 599 under Ugern in the reconsecrated Basílica. Undoubtedly the vernacular spoken at that time was Vulgar Latin, which was also adopted by the Visigothic rulers. Slowly the Latin Barcino changed (for example Barcinone, Barcinonem, Barcinonam, Barchinona).
Among the Moors
Moorish troops reached the Iberian Peninsula in 711, and after the destruction of Tarragona in 717, Barcelona surrendered and was thus saved from greater destruction. The Moors' rule in Barcelona lasted less than a century. The cathedral was converted into a mosque and taxes were increased on those of other faiths.
Barcelona in the Spanish Marrow
Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, conquered Barcelona in 801 after a siege lasting several months. The city was to be the southernmost of his conquests from the Moors, as he was repulsed at Tortosa and at the Llobregat and Cardener rivers. This border region was known as the Spanish Marches. It was administered by several counts appointed by the king. Barcelona became the seat of a count. The first Carolingian counts of Barcelona were little more than royal officials, but over time their status gained power and independence from the central authority and the weak Carolingian kings. Moreover, several territories were assigned to a count.
The last count of Barcelona to be installed by the Carolingians was Wilfried I, the Hairy. Before that, he had already been Count of Cerdanya and Urgell, and in 878 he received the counties of Barcelona, Girona and Besalú. When he died in 897, Wilfried's possessions were divided between his two sons, Wilfried II and Miro the Younger, which meant the introduction of the hereditary nobility in the Spanish Marches.
Wilfried II was the last count to swear allegiance to the Carolingian court, although the fief was not actually abolished until 1258 in the Treaty of Corbeil. The dominance of the Counts of Barcelona among the rulers of the Spanish Marches was partly the result of their military prowess, which enabled them to conquer more territories from the Moorish rulers. They also sought to resettle inhabitants inland, whose inhabitants had been decimated by two centuries of war. Barcelona, with its easily defensible and excellent defences, flourished due to the rising power of its rulers, while the other counties had few promising prospects.
Under the crown of Aragón
Through the marriage contract between Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona, and Petronella, heiress to the Crown of Aragon, who was only one year old, a state community known as the "Crown of Aragon" was formed in 1137 from Aragon and the lands of the Counts of Barcelona, which were largely identical to Catalonia in the 12th century. Through further dynastic connections as well as conquests, it became the leading power of the western Mediterranean in the High and Late Middle Ages. Its economic and cultural centre was the Catalan part of the state community, the Principate of Catalonia, whose merchant fleet dominated the western Mediterranean and had trading posts in numerous ports. Barcelona was already the largest settlement in Catalonia at that time and an important source of income for the country.
In the Spanish monarchy
The marriage of FerdinandII of Aragon to Isabella I of Castile in 1469 united the two royal families of Spain. This shifted the political center to Toledo and later, under the Habsburg Philip II, to Madrid, demoting the former crown of Aragon to a province. In addition, Barcelona, like many Spanish cities on the Mediterranean, suffered a huge decline in trade and loss of importance due to the discovery of America.
In the conflict between Spain and France in the mid-17th century, Catalonia took sides with France, but then sat between all chairs at the peace agreement of 1659, the Peace of the Pyrenees, and was divided in two: The Catalan territories north of the Pyrenees (Northern Catalonia) were lost to France.
In the War of the Spanish Succession (1700-1713), in which the succession to the throne was at stake after the death of the childless Charles II, Catalonia took sides with the Habsburg pretender to the throne, Archduke Charles, and against the Bourbon Philip of Anjou - later known as Philip V. After the siege of 1705, Charles moved into the city. Philip V, who emerged victorious at the Peace of Utrecht, punished Catalonia severely for this: in 1714 Barcelona was conquered and occupied by French troops, and Catalan institutions were dissolved, ending Catalan self-government.
The city was the scene of several uprisings in the 19th century. Among other things, in November 1842, there were protests against the burdens imposed by the Spanish government. The rebels gained the upper hand in the city, and the military retreated to the fortress on Montjuïc. On the orders of Regent Baldomero Espartero, a bombardment of the city began on 3 December 1842 and lasted twelve hours. It caused considerable destruction and cost the lives of around 100 people. The following day, the rebels surrendered and were disarmed.
From the mid-19th century onwards, the city experienced a renewed economic boom and became a centre of Spain's industrial development, bringing wealth and political influence back to the region. At the same time, in the wake of industrialization and the extreme social differences between the big bourgeoisie and the working class, Barcelona developed into a city where Spanish anarchism was particularly popular. It was the scene of numerous anarchist attacks in the 1890s. For example, on September 24, 1893, the anarchist Pallas bombed Arsenio Martínez-Campos here, killing and wounding several people. Pallas was brought before a firing squad on October 5. To avenge his execution, another assassination attempt was made at a performance at the Gran Teatre del Liceu on November 7, killing 23 people and wounding about 40.
After the demolition of the medieval city walls in 1854-1856, the new district of Eixample (literally: "extension") was planned and laid out. The author of the urban design was Ildefons Cerdà, who proposed an isomorphic grid that still characterizes the urban space today. In 1888, Barcelona hosted the World's Fair, which led to a large expansion of the urban area from the Parc de la Ciutadella to Barceloneta. In 1897, six surrounding towns, including Gràcia and Sants, were incorporated. The city's prosperity also led to its re-emergence as a cultural centre. The Exposición Internacional de Barcelona, a second major international exhibition, was organised in 1929 and was recognised as a World's Fair, leading to the urbanisation of the area around Plaça d'Espanya and the construction of the metro. The Palacios de Alfonso XIII y Victoria Eugenia or Palau Nacional, which was built between 1918 and 1923, is a highly visible sign of the architectural changes that took place during this period. The palace complex now serves as a museum of modern art and architecture.
The Second Republic and the Civil War
After the electoral victory of the Spanish left, which had united in 1936 to form the Frente Popular (the "Popular Front"), Barcelona was to be the venue of a People's Olympics, a counter-event to the Berlin Olympics in National Socialist Germany. However, with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, the competitions had to be stopped with the opening ceremony. Some of the athletes subsequently joined the socialist, communist and anarchist militias in defence of the Spanish Republic, which became a nucleus of the later International Brigades.
In Barcelona, a stronghold of republican forces, the insurgent troops were quickly crushed by militias and Guardia Civil units loyal to the government. In 1937, however, the city saw an armed confrontation within the republican camp, between anarchists and left-wing Marxists on the one hand, and communists and socialists on the other - the so-called May Events of Barcelona, a civil war within a civil war that took days and hundreds of casualties to end.
In 1938, Barcelona was the target of numerous heavy air raids by the insurgents, in which German planes of the Condor Legion also participated. The heaviest attack was flown by the Royal Italian Air Force on 19 January 1938. With the approaching military collapse of the Second Republic, the Nationalist units reached the borders of the city at the end of 1938, and it fell under the control of Franco's troops on 26 January 1939.
Under Franco
Barcelona's massive resistance to Franco's coup had devastating consequences for Catalonia after the defeat of the Republican government. The region's autonomous institutions - such as the Generalitat de Catalunya - were abolished and the use of the Catalan language in public, education and publishing was suppressed, causing Barcelona to forfeit its role as a political and cultural centre. Nevertheless, it remained one of the country's economic and industrial centers, attracting many immigrants from poorer Spanish regions (especially Andalusia and Galicia) in the following decades. The increase in population led to accelerated urbanization, the development of the metro and road network, but also the construction of large suburban dormitory towns. In addition, the immigration of Spanish-speaking populations reinforced the Franco regime's repression of Catalan culture in Barcelona, a development from which the city recovered rapidly after the end of the Franco era.
Modern Barcelona
The death of Franco in 1975 led to a democratization movement in Spain, the Transición, which also found broad support in Catalonia in particular. In 1977, there was a large demonstration in Barcelona with over a million people demanding the restoration of Catalan autonomy in the course of Spain's political renewal. This was re-established shortly afterwards with the return of Josep Tarradellas - the President of the Generalitat in exile in France - and the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, the Estatut de'Autonomia.
Barcelona's development in the following years was boosted by two major events: Spain's accession to the EU in 1986 and the 1992 Summer Olympics. The city developed into a popular tourist destination with steadily increasing visitor numbers. As many families moved from the densely built-up inner city to the suburbs, the population fell by 17 percent in the last two decades of the 20th century, but has risen again since the turn of the millennium due to strong immigration (mainly from EU countries, Latin America and Morocco). The urban development of the city in recent years has been marked by numerous large-scale projects aimed at improving the infrastructure and the quality of life, such as the redevelopment of the beaches, the construction of the new Diagonal Mar district on the occasion of the International Forum of Cultures in 2004 and the construction of the AVE high-speed railway line from Madrid via Zaragoza and Barcelona to France.
In 1987, 21 people died and 45 were injured in a car bomb attack by ETA on a shopping centre in Barcelona.
At least 15 people died in the terrorist attack in Barcelona on August 17, 2017, claimed responsibility by the Islamic State terrorist organization.
