Barcelona: the second largest city in Spain

Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalonia, one of the most prosperous regions in southern Europe.

In the first millennium BC, the lands around Barcelona were settled by the agrarian Laetani, while parts of Catalonian were simultaneously colonized by the Iberians. It was the Carthaginians from New Carthage in southern Spain who put Barcelona on the map.

During its history the city has been controlled and fought over by a number of different peoples, including the Visigoths in the 5th century, the Frankish Kings of the 9th century, and the Muslim statesman Al-Mansur in 985.

Barcelona was the Kingdom of Aragon’s major city and chief seaport in the 14th century. Its Catalan language and culture set it apart from Spain and France, but commerce linked it to the Western Mediterranean via coastal roads and its great harbor.

During the 14th and 15th centuries Barcelona was one of the most important centers of gold and silversmithing in Spain.
Barcelona: the second largest city in Spain