By Barcelona wars left it bankrupt and when the Spanish and French troops conquered the city, they found it totally ruined. After Barcelona the support of Habsburgs the new king, Philip V, began a radical transformation of the current status in Catalonia.
In 1716 Felipe V issued Decree of New Plant that was intended to unify his empire and remove local jurisdictions. Barcelona faced the loss of the regime of balloting, the suppression of Cortes, the Consell de Cent, Generalitat, the disappearance of the Mint and the university was transferred to Cervera and Castilian was imposed as the official language.
After the War of Succession, trade with America and the rest of peninsula turned Barcelona into a prosperous city and it developed a powerful industry, mainly textiles, which brought thousands of workers to immigrate to the city.
The weight of the working class in the city increased because of large social mobilization. Thus, in 1854, the workers began the first general strike in Spain. Barcelona began a few decades of great economic strength, large urban changes, and suffered all the vicissitudes of turbulent nineteenth century.
In 1848, the first railroad was opened in 1854 and the walls were demolished, in 1886, electrified trams were launched and at the end of the century and large avenues were built with numerous civil buildings.
Barcelona suffered the War of Independence, the three Carlist Wars, the state of siege of 1868, the turmoil of the First Republic, numerous strikes, roadblocks and clashes. The arrival of the Restoration represented an easing of social tensions and with it, a golden age with economic, artistic and monumental aspects began for the city.
In 1868, Revolutionary Council came to power the that toppled the fortress built by Philip V after the War of Succession, in what it is now the Parque de la Ciutadella and where the first of two Universal Exhibitions held in 1888.
The Modernism of Barcelona in the Twentieth Century
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Barcelona became one of the cities where the modernist movement developed more strength. Painters, designers and architects left in the city an indelible mark that has marked forever the idiosyncrasies of Barcelona. The city was fortunate to count among its children with the great and immortal Antoni Gaudí, the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism.
From 1909, two decades of great prosperity began. The supply to the warring powers in World War enriched Barcelona bourgeoisie. After the war came a time of crisis involving clashes between the employers and the anarchist movement.
In 1923 Barcelona lived coup of General Primo de Rivera and imposed social peace, which favored the continuation of the economic boom and that made Barcelona the organizer of the second International Exhibition in 1929.
With the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, Barcelona regained the Generalitat when promulgating the Statute of Autonomy of 1932. After the war, Barcelona was one of the cities most benefited by the regime, favoring industrialization and economic development from 1960 to 1975 which was spectacular.
The fall of the dictatorship of General Franco initiated the democratic period and Barcelona regained Generalitat and the regional capital of Catalonia. The economic boom, largely due to the entry of Spain into the European Union, allowed to organize 1992 Olympic Games.
Olympics of 1992 in Barcelona were promoted worldwide and today it is one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. Currently, Barcelona is an open and tolerant place which has its own merits, in a modern cosmopolitan capital city that has everything. Its sea, beaches and harbors receive the largest number of cruises and it has modern airport with other means of transportation.
Barceloneta is triangular in shape and borders the Olympic Port, Ronda Litoral and the sea, comprising beaches of Barceloneta, Somorrostro, Sant Sebastià and Sant Miquel. Until the mid-eighteenth century La Barceloneta was an almost unpopulated area. In 1754, the fishermen began settling in this area of the city due to its nearness to the sea.
Despite having acquired a more modern look, it still retains its special charm. Its narrow streets and facades obscured by the sea salt have made this area one of the most appreciated one in Barcelona, a place with a quiet, family atmosphere which remains outside the big city making it the best area to stay in Barcelona.
One of the main attractions of the area is the beaches it has, the largest and the busiest city. The beaches have a great atmosphere and excellent services. The streets of Barceloneta are very nice and quirky, full narrow alleys of old buildings, churches and some have retained their decoration for almost 200 years.
The area closest to the sea has more modern landscape, but still the old traditions are preserved. In the evening, you can view the arrival of fishing boats unloading their catch to hold an auction with the freshest fish.
To discover the charm, there is nothing better than to wander through its narrow streets without worrying about the course, stopping to taste the freshest fish in any of the restaurants in neighborhood.
In addition to its natural beauty, the neighborhood has many attractions among which we can highlight the Museum of History of Catalonia or the Clock Tower, the oldest building in the area was built in 1772 to serve as lighthouse port. The museums in Barceloneta are generally open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00 hours. On Mondays, most museums are closed.
On the Barceloneta beaches, you can take the cable car to reach Mirador de Miramar and enjoy the harbor views.
Just a few steps away from La Barceloneta in the area of Port Vell, it is possible to make some shopping at the Maremagnum Mall, see a movie in modern IMAX theaters or visit the underwater world at the Barcelona Aquarium.
Most of the shops in Barceloneta open from Monday through Saturday from 9:00 to 13:30 and 17:00 to 20:00 hours, although some small shops are closed on Saturday afternoons. Shopping malls and supermarkets are open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 22:00 hours. Some shopping malls like Maremagnum opens every day of the year, including Sundays and holidays.
