Founded by the Romans in 15 BC, Barcino, as it was first called, was a small enclave protected by defensive walls and built around a central temple. All of Roman Barcino stood in the area that is today called Barri Gòtic. Although Barcelona was little more than a provincial city for hundreds of years, it slowly grew in importance, becoming a wealthy medieval trading centre and the base of the Catalan kingdom, which was for a time the strongest power in the Mediterranean.

In the 13th century the Corts Catalanes, one of the world’s first democratic ruling bodies, was established in Barcelona with the King’s blessing. Social and financial success lasted until the 1400s, when the last Catalan king died without an heir. Catalunya was forced to link itself to the throne of Aragon, a tie that paved the way for Catalunya to be bound to Spain. Barcelona’s economy plummeted once the Castilian crown took over, and Barcelona didn’t really lift its head again until the end of the 18th century, when Catalans were finally allowed to trade with the New World, hundreds of years after the rest of Spain had been getting rich in the colonies. Barcelona’s resulting wealth led to the Modernist movement and the so-called Catalan Renaissance. In the 20th century, Barcelona saw its share of ups and downs, with economic booms in the early and late part of the century but also political strife caused by anarchists, heavy repressions by the Spanish government under General Franco, and serious shortages caused by the Spanish Civil War.

POLITICS

To really get a feel for local politics, take a stroll down to the Plaça Sant Jaume, where the town hall (Ajuntament) and regional government headquarters (Palau de la Generalitat) sit facing each other in an eternal stand-off. Both are led by the Socialist party, but the town hall deals with local Barcelona issues while the Generalitat represents regional interests. Lately, a major issue for the Barcelona town hall has been antisocial behaviour, a problem that includes everything from noise, graffiti and littering to indecent exposure, public urination and overt street prostitution. Barcelona’s police are now cracking down on such behaviour with a variety of measures, including heavy fines, even for tourists.

RELIGION

Like the rest of Spain, Barcelona is traditionally Catholic, but you’d hardly know it judging by the half-empty churches. Still, Catholic traditions are strong here and Saints’ days (like the days honouring the city’s two patronesses Santa Mercè and Santa Eulàlia) are celebrated with enthusiasm. Thanks to Barcelona’s large immigrant population, there’s also an important Muslim community, and small mosques and prayer halls dot the city centre.

ECONOMY

Barcelona and its surrounding region, Catalunya, boast one of the most powerful economies in Spain, with strong textile, design, wine and shipping industries. Catalunya accounts for a quarter of Spain’s exports and more than a fifth of its GNP. Barcelona has a booming real estate market, though buying here is prohibitively expensive, with the average square metre costing more than €4,000 in a new-build. Tourism is another major economic engine. In 2004, more than 4.5 million tourists visited the city, giving jobs to nearly 53,000 tourism industry professionals.

POPULATION

Barcelona’s population of 1.8 million is spread over some 100 square kilometres, making the city one of the most densely populated areas in southern Europe. Nearly 13% of the population is nonSpanish—a jump from just 5% in 2000— and more immigrants arrive each year. The largest immigrant communities are from Ecuador (31,227), Colombia (12,477), Peru (12,447) and Morocco (12,432). The city centre population has decreased significantly over the past 10 years as many residents moved into the suburbs, but the larger Barcelona metropolitan area now has a total population of 4.7 million, a figure that’s set to grow in coming years.