Barcelona Travel Guide - History

The Phœenicians and Carthaginians were the first groups to establish a city on this part of the Iberian coast, as early as the 4th century BC, and it was not long before the city developed an important port.

By the 1st century BC, the Romans had attacked the area and gained control of the thriving little settlement, known then as Tarraco. The city walls were built during Roman occupation to survive invasion from the Franks and Huns.

In the 8th Century AD, the Moors and Berbers were driven out of Iberia and in 898; Barcelona was united with the Carolingian Empire. By the end of the next century, it had gained full independence and had become a prominent political and military force.

Under the rule of Wilfred the Hairy, the Catalan region was founded and this independence continues to this day, with the people of Barcelona preferring to call themselves Catalans rather than Spaniards.

Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso also lived in Barcelona, ensuring the city’s position as one of the world’s leading artistic capitals. During WWII, Barcelona survived with little damage, despite Spain experiencing its own civil war, and has since materialised as one of Europe’s most popular cities. Its hosting of the 1992 Olympics saw Barcelona grow into what it is today.