| |
 |
| Welcome
to Barcellona.it Vortal City Network |
 |
|
| Barcelona
- Online Hotel reservation |
The
second city of Spain but first centre of
Catalunia,Barcelona is a metropolis which
overlooks the sea and holds in its tradition
a mixed and different variety of cultures
and usages. Its marked catalan soul expresses
the real nature of a city which is so much
jealous of its culture and ancient traditions
that has preserved its own language from
falling into oblivion during Francoist dictatorship.
The other side of Barcelona is that one
of a cosmopolitan city always open to foreign
cultures, which are arrived here thanks
to the local working harbour and to the
closeness of national borders and which
have been reinterpreted here in an original
way. The Catalan capital, a lively cultural
city, has been protagonist of a great economic
progress, and now it expresses also a strenght
updating willingness, both as far as concern
a civil reorganization (is the Eixample
case) and a structural one(the new structures
builded for 1992 olimpic games). The tourist
who comes in Barcelona discovers both a
modern and ancient city at the same time,where
two different styles come beside ,the catalan
gotic and the moderrnist architecture, and
where the frequent approach between an old
fishermen’s quarter and an olympic
city aren’t so much disrespectful.
The beautiful architectures and artistic
masterpieces of the city together with a
tasteful cooking and a lively nightlife
have made Barcelona one of the most favourite
world travellers’destination. |
|
 |
|
|
|
The
first historical data about
Barcelona date back to the
2nd Century b.C and they
mention a city named Barkeno
founded by the Carthaginians
and later conquered by the
Romans becoming a settlement
called Colonia Favencia
Julia Augusta Paterna Barcino.
Afterwards this area has
been conquered respectively
by the Visigoths, the Moorishes
and then by the Frankishes
of Charlemagne who proclaimed
Barcelona as the capital
of “Marca Hispanica”.The
marriage between the only
heir of the Catalan dinasty
and the direct |
descendant
of Aragon and the consequent
union of the two regions
mark the beginning of a
prosperous period for the
whole Catalunia. The unity
of the Nation including
Castile,Aragon and Catalunia
was reached in 1474,thanks
to the marriage of Ferdinand
of Aragon with Isabel of
Castile. Barcelona lost
progressively its economic
and commercial importance
because of the increase
of the docks from overseas;.
A feeling of national independence
began to emerge growing
more and more over the centuries.
The first real declaration
of independence date back
to 1931 when the constitution
of”generalitat de
Catalunya” was proclaimed
, but the glory of the Spanish
capital lasted just until
the civil war when the city
, republican fortress, in
1939 was invaded by the
Francoist army . Only when
the “Generalissimo”
Franco died (1975) and when
the the young bourbon monarch
Juan Carlos of Borbone embarked
on a new democratic programme,
Catalunia became independent
and attained an own self-governing
Parliament. |
|
|
|
|
Inhabitants:
1.700.000
Area: 7.773 square kilometres*
Nation: Barcelona is the
capital of Catalunia, autonomous Spanish
community.
Language: The official
languages spoken in Barcelona are catalan
and castilian
Domestic Currency: running
from first january 2002 euro has become
the official currency.
Time Zone: in the winter
GMT + 1 hour,instead in the summer GMT+2
hours.
Religion: Catholic Majority
Papers: For the citizens
of EEC it is sufficient the identity card
but the immigrants from a country outside
the european community need the passport.
* (the datum refers to the whole country)
|
|
|
|
Barcelona
– Rome: 1.130 km
Barcelona – Paris:
1.030 km
Barcelona – Berlin:
1.830 km
Barcelona – Lisbon:
1.285 km
Barcelona – Madrid:
630 km
Barcelona – Geneva:
755 km |
|
|
|
|
|
|
