Overview
Barcelona can trace its name back to the father of Hannibal, Hamilcar Barca, the Carthaginian who founded the port long before the Romans invaded in 15 BC. Despite the city's varied history, the street grid the Romans imposed is still evident today in the layout of the city. In medieval times, the counts of Barcelona established their rule over the entire Catalonia region and formed the Crown of Aragon. King Philip V of Spain seriously damaged the city during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714. Napoleon annexed it for the French empire, but after his exile to St. Helena, it was returned to SpainMany of the city's great building schemes stemmed from three major events: the 1888 International Exposition, the 1929 Exposition, and the 1992 Olympic Games. The late nineteenth century also witnessed the huge rise of the Modernist movement, pushed forward by Barcelona's two finest architects, Antoni Gaudi and Josep Puig i Cadalfach. Though the violent civil war of 1936-39 scarred the city and the rule of the dictator General Francisco Franco suppressed the Catalan identity, after Franco's death in the mid-1970s, Spain joined the European Union and the city underwent a stunning revival. The modernist architecture that so many fought to save from architectural fads is now one of the city's biggest draws.
Synopsis
A trip to Barcelona, Spain, is not soon forgotten. The capital of Catalonia, Barcelona is known for its remarkable architecture, glorious strolls down Las Ramblas, fantastic food, political unrest, and a history that dates back to the arrival of the Romans in the first century before Christ. Pop open a bottle of cava, and enjoy time traveling at its best in Spain's second largest city with Barcelona Then and Now.
• Seventy pairs of photographs illustrate then-and-now images of beautiful, historic Barcelona.
• Explore the Barri Gotic, the old city's Gothic Quarter, and you'll notice how the narrow cobbled streets where Picasso and Joan Miró once lived have — and haven't — changed with time.
• Discover the astounding architectural gifts of Antoni Gaudí as they were then, and as they are today; see Parc Guell, Batllo House and his still unfinished masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia.
• Visit the Mercat de la Boqueria, Barcelona's famous food market, and you'll notice it's still a vital part of the city's everyday life.