From the foundation up until the Romans

The presence of humans in the area of Barcelona goes back to the end of the Neolithic period (2000 to 1500 BC.). From the 7th to the 6th century BC. The existence of settlements of the laietana (Iberian) tribes has been documented. It seems that there was also a Greek colony (Kallipolis), although its exact location has never been confirmed. It was occupied by the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War and afterwards, they settled there.

At the end of the 1st century BC, the Romans rebuilt the city over the ruins of the ancient Iberian settlement. They turned it into a military stronghold called Iulia Augusta Paterna Faventia Barcino, which was situated in the existing district of the Cathedral and Sant Jaume Square. In the 2nd century it was walled by order of Claudio.

Visigoth, Muslim and Carolingian Occupation

In the 5th century, Barcelona was occupied by the Visigoths of Ataúlfo (415), from the North of Europe. The court was installed here for a brief period of time. In the 8th century it was occupied by the Muslims and thus began a period of almost one century of Muslim rule, during which the city was called Barshaluna. In 801 the Carolingians arrived, making it the Capital of the County of Barcelona and incorporated it into the Marca Hispánica(Spanish border district). The economic potential of the city and its strategic location prompted the Muslims to return in 985, led by Almansor, who occupied it for a few months. Later, Borrell II began the reconstruction (985) and gave way to the age of the Counts.

Decline of the city

Starting in the 14th century the city began a phase of decline that would last for the next few centuries. The Union of the Kingdoms of Castilla and Aragon, made official by the marriage between Fernando of Aragón and Isabel of Castilla, generated tensions between the Castillians and the Catalans, which reached their most critical moment with the beginning of the “War of the Harvesters” (Guerra de los Segadores) between 1640 and 1651 and later, with the “War of the Spanish Succession” (Guerra de Sucesión) (from 1706 to 1714), which resulted in the abolition of the independent institutions of Catalonia and the destruction of a large part of the Ribera district as well as the construction of the Ciutadella fortress.

18th Century

At the end of the 18th century, Barcelona began an economic recovery which favoured progressive industrialization during the next century.

From the 19th to the 20th Century

In 1888 Barcelona organized its first Universal Exposition. With this event they learned that organizing major international events promoted the urbanization of the city and yielded a multitude of visitors and international renown.

In the second half of the 19th century, at the same time as the 1854 project for destroying the city walls, other towns from the Plain of Barcelona: Gràcia, Sant Gervasi de Cassoles, les Corts, Sants, Sant Andreu de Palomar and Sant Martí de Provençals are all incorporated. This allowed the city to apply its expansion and industrial development projects.

The Barcelonans experienced the proliferation of new ways of life, entertainment and social relations present in sports. A large number of swimming, tennis and football clubs became very important in the social life of the Barcelonans and in the exterior projection of the city. Clubs such as FC Barcelona (founded in 1889) and the RCD Espanyol (founded in 1900) football clubs, as well as the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona (Royal Tennis Club) and the Club Natació Barcelona (swimming club)became very popular in the city and turned Barcelona into the main Spanish sports capital at the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1929 another Universal Exposition was organized, thanks to which the entire area of Plaza España was urbanized and pavilions were built on the present-day site of the Barcelona Fira(Expo fair grounds). The 1929 Exposition also served as a pretext for building the metro (underground), first inaugurated in 1924, and expanded in 1926.

Civil War: 1936-1939

The city experienced a revolutionary process by which the CNT(“National Work Confederation”) and the UGT (“General Workers Union”) carried out collectivisations of companies and services. The authority of the Republican Government and of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Autonomous government)were theoretical. Almost all the buildings, whatever the size, were in the hands of the workers and were covered with red flags or with the red and black flags of the Anarchists; the walls bore the hammer and sickle and the initials of the revolutionary parties; almost all the temples had been destroyed and their images, burned.

During the war, Barcelona was bombarded several times by the Franquistas (Franco supporters). The support given by the city to the Republican troops came with a high price, not only during the three years of war, but also during the 36 years following of the Franco Regime. In January of 1939,the Fascists occupied the city in the last stage of the war.

Post-War and “Franquism”

After a difficult post-war, Barcelona began a phase of compulsive development and exacerbated speculation. This is how the entire Plain of Barcelona, which still preserved a legacy of its agricultural and rural past, was urbanized in the form of large dorm-style neighbourhoods full of immigrants from other parts of Spain.

Democracy

Once Democracy was recovered with the death of Franco, the city started up a new cultural and urban development in which civil society had an increasingly important role. This has provided it with significant infrastructures, consolidating a cosmopolitan and modern metropolis which is very attractive for tourism. During this last period, the 1992 Olympic Games were held there, as well as the Universal Forum of Culture in 2004.