Barcelona Facts
Fact 1: Barcelona, which is located in the northeast corner of Spain, has a rich history that pre-dates the Roman Empire. However, the city is hardly stuck in the past. With over four million people, Barcelona is the flourishing capital of Catalonia and the primary industrial, financial and commercial center of Spain.
Fact 2: The exact origins of what is now Barcelona go back some 2,000+ years. According to legend, the Carthaginian ruler, Amilcar Barca, founded the city in 230 BC and named it Barcino. It wasn't until the third century BC that it became part of the Roman Empire.
Fact 3: Barcelona was home to one of the greatest modernist architects in history. The renowned Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) left his extraordinary mark all over the city. Some of his masterpieces include Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, Finca Guell, Bellesguard, and the great cathedral of the Sagrada Familia.
Fact 4: The Temple Expatori de la Sagrada Familia is perhaps the modernist architect Antoni Gaudi's most famous work. The view from the ornate spires is magnificent. Unfortunately, Gaudi died in 1926 before completing the Temple and, though various others have worked on it since, it remains unfinished.
Fact 5: With more than forty museums, Barcelona has been dubbed a "City of Museums." None is more impressive and popular than the internationally renowned Museu Picasso. Roughly 800,000 visitors each year come to see this priceless collection—which showcases many pieces from the artist's childhood and famous Blue Period.
Fact 6: Barcelona's most famous street is a twisting, tree-lined avenue called La Rambla. This bustling street – sprinkled with numerous street vendors as well as sightseers – is actually comprised of five Ramblas: Rambla de Canaletes, Rambla dels Estudis, Rambla de Saint Joseph, Rambla del Centro and Rambla de Santa Monica.
Fact 7: The elegant and gothic-inspired Santa Maria del Mar seems strangely out of place among the modernist architecture that dominates the city. The church was built in the mid-14th century and features magnificent columns, a huge, spacious interior and a gorgeous rose window. It is said that the church was built in honor of the Virgin of the Sailors.
Fact 8: Talk about your spectacular views! Mount Tibidabo is the highest point of the Serra de Collserola hills and affords visitors with a view that is unmatched anywhere else in Barcelona. On a clear day you can see across the Pyrenees and out to sea as far as Mallorca. At the top sits the Temple Expiatori and an amusement park.
Fact 9: The Old City sits between the harbor and Placa de Catalunya. It's famous for its array of medieval Gothic Buildings and historical monuments. Walking through the charming streets of this district is like stumbling across a different period in the history of Barcelona. One can even see traces of the old Roman Wall.
Fact 10: As host to the Olympic Games in 1992, Barcelona underwent much new construction to accommodate the massive event. The famous Olympic Stadium, however, already existed — it was built for the Great Exhibition of 1929. Today, many of these Olympic facilities are open to the public.
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