Great Cities is a new book from DK exploring the social and cultural history of 100 of the world's most important cities. From the first towns in Mesopotamia to today's global metropolises, cities have marked the progress of civilisation. Written in the form of illustrated "biographies", Great Cities offers a rich historical overview of each featured city, brought to vivid life with paintings, photographs, timelines, maps, and artefacts.
Discover the intruiging history of Barcelona with this exclusive extract from the book...
City of counts
Barcelona's stunning architecture has helped make it a world-famous cultural centre. It has expanded from a compact medieval hub to a large and vibrant metropolis looking out to the shining sea.
According to legend, Barcelona was founded by a military leader from Carthage in North Africa named Hamilcar Barca. However, the Romans, who arrived in the 3rd century BCE, were the first settlers to have left a historical record. Attracted by the valuable harbour, they called the place Barcino, laid roads, and built aqueducts to create a fresh water supply. The settlement became a centre for the surrounding area, where grapes were grown, and the Romans exported the local wine across their empire. The coming of the counts
The fall of the Roman Empire was followed by several centuries of rule by the Visigoths, before the arrival of the Moors – Muslims from North Africa. In the 9th century CE, the Franks captured Barcelona, adding it to their empire. A series of local counts ruled Barcelona on behalf of the Frankish emperor, one of whom, Wilfred the Hairy (r.878–97 CE) built fine churches and a palace, making the city a fitting capital of the County of Barcelona. His dynasty ruled for some 500 years – hence Barcelona's lasting nickname, City of Counts – conquering outposts such as Valencia, Sardinia, and Sicily. In 1137, the engagement of Count of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer IV to the heir to the throne of nearby Aragon heralded a golden age for Catalonia. The Aragonese drew wealth from Barcelona’s trade, some of which was used to construct the buildings of the Gothic Quarter, the most ancient part of the city surviving today.
As the 14th century progressed, the city’s fortunes began to decline. It was badly hit by the Black Death in the 1340s and then by a series of poor harvests and famines. Barcelona, where the streets once bustled with merchants and shopkeepers, and the air rang with the sound of masons’ chisels, was now half-empty and quiet. Local prosperity sank further after 1503, when the rulers of newly united Spain banned merchants from transatlantic trade with their recently acquired territories in the Americas.War and industry
Spain’s 16th-century rulers, Charles V and Philip II, were members of the powerful Habsburg dynasty and brought the country into their huge European empire. Madrid remained their centre, while Barcelona was marginalized and taxed heavily. The local population rebelled against imperial power in the 1640 Revolt of the Harvesters, a clash that led to a 12-year war. The dispute culminated in an extended siege of the city, which was forced to submit. Barcelona was also embroiled in the War of the Spanish Succession, a Europe-wide conflict between France and Austria, each vying to put their candidates on the Spanish throne. Austrian forces occupied the port and took over the city, which Philip V of Spain won back in 1714. The new king led a repressive regime, abolishing all local self-government and destroying an entire residential district to make way for an imposing fortress, the Ciutadella.
What saved the city was the coming of industry and the revival of commerce. In 1778, the long-standing ban on trade with the Americas was lifted, restoring commercial life at last, in spite of damage caused during the Peninsular War of 1808–14. During the 19th century, the iron, wine, and cork industries expanded, followed by an increase in textile production. This brought jobs, money, and an influx of workers from the surrounding area. The city began to regain its buzz, but at a cost – still confined within the medieval city walls, Barcelona became overcrowded with workers enduring slum housing and poor sanitation. By the 1850s, it became clear that the city had to expand. A new vision
Catalan engineer and urban planner Ildefons Cerdà devised the city’s expansion, coming up with a revolutionary scheme called the Eixample (Extension), which created an entirely new city district. Cerdà saw that it was vital to give his new district better services and good roads, together with adequate ventilation, sunlight, and green space. Each intersection on his unique grid plan widened into a diamond-shaped space, easing traffic flow. The street blocks were designed to be built up on two sides only, giving access via the open sides to a central area of green space. This distinctive plan still gives much of the city centre its character and navigability – even though the area was so popular that the open sides of the blocks were soon filled in. In addition, space was provided for a large new church – the site of the future Sagrada Família, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.A global outlook
This expansion benefited the city’s industry, improved housing conditions, and helped create a sense of optimism among business owners, Catalan nationalists, writers, and artists alike. Barcelona began to make its mark on the global stage, particularly with the Universal Exposition of 1888. The city's mayor oversaw the swift construction of a number of impressive buildings. One of the most eye-catching was the Arc de Triomf at the exposition’s entrance, its classical proportions offset by rich, Moorish influenced decoration and a series of elaborate friezes, which show Barcelona welcoming the participating nations and embracing the modern age.
After the Exposition closed, Catalan nationalism gained momentum with both the foundation of nationalist organizations and a victory at the 1901 polls. Meanwhile, the development of Barcelona’s new city blocks continued and a different architectural, artistic, and literary movement evolved, known as Modernisme. In part influenced by Art Nouveau in France and Belgium, free-flowing and favouring curves over straight lines, this style was suited to the genius of Antoni Gaudí. Other pioneering painters and sculptors, including Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, made Barcelona their home in the early 20th century. Their revolutionary work, together with Gaudí’s colourful architecture and concerts held at venues such as the Palau de la Música Catalana, made Barcelona a vibrant cultural centre, a role the city still retains.Conflicts and recoveries
The 20th century brought repeated political upheavals to Barcelona. One example was a week of bombings and protests against a military call-up in 1909. More damaging still was the Spanish Civil War (1936–39), with bitter fighting bringing great loss of life and the wrecking of many buildings. The war’s end brought the right-wing dictator Francisco Franco to power in Spain. Later, Franco’s follower Josep Maria de Porcioles became mayor of Barcelona and remained in the post for 16 years. Porcioles’ policies stimulated industry and spawned sprawling new suburbs, but the housing was often crowded and inadequate. Far more successful public works were generated by Barcelona’s winning bid to host the 1992 Olympic Games. A stadium was built in the fortress-topped area of Montjuïc, and the previously run-down waterfront was transformed with city beaches, promenades, cafés, and bars. In the 21st century, continued investment in regeneration projects has boosted the city's popularity as a centre for tourism and the arts – as has the high profile of its football team, adding sport to Barcelona’s already-rich offering of unique architecture, impressive art galleries, and cutting-edge gastronomy.Read next
