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Barcelona: the Heart of a Nation
Barcelona is so much more than the second largest city in Spain. A city with roots deep in history; a city at the centre of a culture and nation that bubbles with pride but has had to fight for its right to exist; a city that combines stylish architecture dating back centuries with modern, cosmopolitan sophistication; a city that has hosted the Olympics and is home to Europe's best football team, yet where sport is never just sport.
A city which is all this and more has to be worth more than a second glance. Blessed with a warm climate and good Mediterranean beaches, the city has a fine setting to begin with close to Cataluniya's Cava producing region. Barcelona was a port from around 230 BC when it was founded by the Carthaginians, through Roman times and on into the city's golden age, when Cataluniya had an empire including Malta, Sardinia and various parts of Greece, France and Spain.
The decline of this empire, along with the subsequent absence of a modern Catalan nation state, was marked. The language, however, still survives beyond Cataluniya, spoken in parts of Pyrenean France, Andorra, Valencia, the Balearics and the city of Alghero in Sardinia.
Catalan culture has survived and thrived despite the dominance of Castillian Spain in recent centuries, not least in the repressive years of the Franco regime, when both the language and the flag were banned.
For this reason, the city's main sporting institution, FC Barcelona, are not merely another big football club, huge though its Nou Camp stadium is and bulging though its trophy cabinet, presently adorned with the European Cup, may be. Rather, it is a huge symbol of Catalan nationalism. Visits to the Nou Camp during the Franco years were a unique opportunity for locals to publicly converse, sing and shout in Catalan, while the Catalan flag, forcibly removed from the club crest during the Franco years, now proudly adorns it again. Visitors may marvel at the stadium and enjoy the excellence of the team, but should not ignore the greater social and political context that contributes to the club's status.
Barcelona's rivalry with Castillian foes Real Madrid thus goes so much further than sport, expressed most eloquently by the unveiling at one match between the two of a banner in English, consisting of the simple message: "Not Spain". At the same time, the city's second club, Espanyol (literally "Spanish") had a different role in Franco's time as the club of the fascist establishment. Today, however, Espanyol has adopted a full Catalan identity itself. The name of the club originated not from anti-nationalism but from its foundation by Spaniards, unlike most continental clubs, including Barcelona, that were formed by ex-pat Englishmen.
Despite the nationalistic fervour, Spanish is still spoken heavily in Barcelona, which has had plenty of migration from other parts of the country. The city proper now has a population of over 1.5 million, with another two million in the suburbs. It does not have a huge range of accommodation, but there are cheap hotels to be found.
Like many historic ports, the old docks went to seed in the latter part of the 20th century. The last 20 years, however, have seen more than just a cosmetic makeover. While the cafe culture and modern development has rejuvenated the docklands, the nearby hill of Sants-Monjuic became the site of several Olympic venues in 1992, including the main stadium. The rejuvenation of the city stemming from the games has set a benchmark for others to follow.
Yet Barcelona's greatest feature is perhaps the Modernista architecture of Antoni Gaudi, whose work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with arches and unorthodox shapes provide some of the most enduring images of the city. These include the honeycomb-spired Sagrada Familia (Church of the Holy Family), an iconic basilica which is still under construction. Visitors can make donations to support the building work, which has a projected finish date of 2026, not coincidentally the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's untimely death in a tram accident.
The Sagrada Familia may often be mistaken for a cathedral, but in fact the city's cathedral is the Santa Eulalia, a gothic building dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, although only finished in the 19th. Gothic architecture is another historic feature of the city, dominating the Barri Gotic medieval heart of Barcelona, which also contains Roman relics such as the towers of the Portal del Bisbe.
Close to both the Barri Gotic and the Eixample district where the Sagrada Familia stands is the most famous street in the city, Las Ramblas. The Ramblas is in fact an interlinked chain of boulevards, filled with cafes, outdoor entertainment and shopping, a focal point of the city's vibrant life and culture and a must-see on any trip.
At the north end of the Ramblas is an iron fountain, where it is said one must drink to ensure a return trip to Barcelona. Having got this far, few visitors will have anything other than a desire to come back.
This article is provided by Hotels Hotels Hotels suppliers of cheap hotels in Barcelona
Updated: Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:00:00
Related Links:
Barcelona Tourist Board
Barcelona Airport
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