Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is the capital city of the Autonomous Region of Catalonia, in Spain.
Some sources suggest the city was named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who supposedly founded the city in the 3rd century BC but, despite evidence of previous settlements, going back as far as the 5th millennium BC, it was the Romans, in 15 BC, that redrew whatever settlement existed as a castrum (Roman Military Camp), on a little hill near the contemporary city hall, thus founding the city of Barcelona.
Some fragments of the Roman Walls were incorporated in the Cathedral, initially built in 343. The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early 5th century, becoming the capital of Hispania. It was later conquered by the Arabs in the 8th century, but by the early 9th century it had already been reconquered by Charlemagne's son, becoming a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona. Nevertheless, the city was sacked by the Arab ruler Almanzor in 985, a sack so traumatic that most of the population was either enslaved or killed.
In the 12th century, Barcelona was merged to the kingdom of Aragon by marriage and Alfonso II of Aragon became the first king of the united territories, later known as the Crown of Aragon. By the 13th century, the Crown of Aragon controlled many overseas possessions and dominated the western mediterranean sea.
With the marriage of the Christian kings and subsequent union of the Aragon and Castille crowns, Barcelona started to decline, as Madrid became the centre of political power and the colonisation of the Americas reduced the financial importance of the Mediterranean trade. Barcelona became the centre of Catalan separatism, leading the revolt against Phillip IV of Spain in 1640.
Barcelona was negatively affected by the Napoleonic wars but the dawn of industrialisation brought prosperity to the region and with it a prominent cultural role. 
In 1992 Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics which gave new vitality to the seafront, where the Olympic village was built.


What to do in Barcelona (click for details):

 Barcelona's Cathedral
Casa Batló
Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
City History Museum
Joan Miro Foundation
Maritime Museum
Montjuic Castle
Montjuic Port de Barcelona Cable Car
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
Palau de la Musica Catalana
Parc Güell
Parc de la Ciutadella
Sagrada Familia
Science Museum
Wax Museum
Local: Barcelona, Espanha

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