Barcelona

Founded in 300 BC by a people of Iberian origin with the name of Barcino , Barcelona was later occupied by the Romans : looking from above the road organization of the historic center (the Gothic Quarter ), their passage is still evident today. 

Conquered by the Visigoths , the Moors and the Franks and sacked by the Arabs , the city experienced a period of splendor starting from the 12th century , when it became the capital of the Principality of Catalonia and one of the most important cities of the Kingdom of Aragon .

The union between Ferdinand II and Isabella of Castile in 1469 marked the beginning of the economic decline of Barcelona, ​​which in 1717 also lost its political independence . The situation would have recovered in the nineteenth century: industrialization allowed the city to return to being a commercial , political and also cultural  point of reference (in 1888 and 1929 the city hosted two Universal Expositions ).

Bombed several times during the bloody Spanish Civil War , Barcelona (siding on the side of the Republic) was occupied by the army led by the dictator Francisco Franco.

With the return to democracy, the Catalan capital finally regained its own political-cultural identity. The entry of Spain into the European Union (1986) and above all the Olympic Games held in Barcelona in 1992 gave new life to the city, which began to radically change its face. An example above all is the Barceloneta, which until the early 90s was a popular neighborhood: significantly revalued before the Olympics, it has become one of the busiest areas of the Catalonian capital.

Between the Barceloneta, the Gothic Quarter and La Ribera focus l' Aquarium, the Museu d'Historia de Catalunya, the Picasso Museum and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. Beyond the Barcelona Zoo are the Port Olímpic and the beach area:  Barceloneta, Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella, Llevant.

Although universally recognized as the city ​​of Gaudí and his Sagrada Familia , Barcelona is also the birthplace of one of the fathers of surrealism: Joan Miró. On Montjuïc, a hill overlooking the town from above, there is - among other things - the Foundation that bears the name of the Catalan painter, a 17th century castle, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and the magic fountain. This part of the city can be reached thanks to the funicular and two cableways (that of Montjuïc and that of Porto).

Two other things to do before leaving are an excursion to Mount Tibidabo (where there is also an amusement park) and a visit to the sancta sanctorum of Catalan futbol: the Camp Nou.