Barcelona, a crucible

It isn't a very highly populated city - it doesn't reach two million inhabitants - but Barcelona's artistic, historic, economic and cultural interest is immense.

Tourists at the entrance of Barcelona cathedral. Picture Guiarte.

On Spain's Northeast angle, and excellently communicated, Barcelona is one of the Mediterranean economic centres, with a very active port. But the city has survived to the industrial excesses and has always had a highly developed cultural vocation

L'Illa building, by Moneo, in La Diagonal Street. Picture Guiarte.

There has been in Barcelona sensitiveness enough to conserve its Roman rests, the outstanding gothic heritage, and to increase its interest, during the past centuries, with parks, palaces and many different instalations and infrastructures for Universal Expositions and Olympic Games.

Barcelona is interesting for its town planning and - most of all - for being modernism's world centre. Barcelona is to modernism what Florence to renaissance.

Next: From Old Barcino

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