Badalona, Spain

Badalona, Spain

Badalona (Baetulo in Roman times) is a city in Spain. It is located in the comarca of the Barcelonès near the city of Barcelona. It is situated on the left bank of the small river Besòs and on the Mediterranean Sea. Badalona has a station on the RENFE R1 suburban railway line from L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to Maçanet-Massanes and a small harbour, chiefly important for its fishing and boat-building trades. There are gas, chemical and mineral-oil works in the town, which also manufactures woollen and cotton goods, glass, biscuits, sugar and brandy; while the surrounding fertile plains produce an abundance of grain, wine and fruit. Badalona thus largely contributes to the export trade of Barcelona, and may, in fact, be regarded as its industrial suburb. Badalona is one of the oldest towns in Catalonia. It is situated near Barcelona and has 210.000 inhabitants.With a typical mediterranian climate and five kilometres of beach, Badalona is excepcionally well positioned, between the sea and the mountain. The greater specific gravity that Badalona has obtained in the metropolitan area and its increasing presence in the economic and cultural world in Catalonia is the result of the transformations introduced in the town urban plans and in the public services. Badalona is a town with a lot of contrasts, where the interrelations between cultures and races generates a big multiplicity of cultural activities. The current reality in Badalona is the reflection of 2.000 years of history. Historically, we can find the urban starting point of our town in the foundations of an urban settlement by the Romans, in the year 100 B.C. Since then, that first nucleus has changed to become Badalona as it is nowadays. It was called Baetulo. People born in Badalona have always been proud of its Roman origin. The Roman Baths, in the Museum, the House preserved in Lladó street, a length of water pipe in Pujol street, and the remains of the wall oh the Hort de les Monges, as well as sculptures, wall paintings, mosaics and the Tabula Hospitalis, show us the results of the efforts to protect the past remains. The Venus of Badalona, a small sculpture, carved in white marble, is what really identifies Badalona with the Roman past. Since the tenth century, a new urban nucleus formed in Badalona, where the old Roman city was, formed by a group of houses around the square and the church. At the same time, a rural nucleus grew up outside the town walls. This double situation, urban and rural, would remain until the middle of the eighteenth century. Badalona was one of the most important towns during industrialization. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, many high quality buildings were erected, among which the Pavillard house is outstanding. It was built by Joan Amigó i Barriga in 1906, and is considered the best modernist work in town. The protection of artistic and historical heritage is constant. To this effect, one of the last and more important examples has been the remodelling of Zorrilla Theatre, a nineteenth-century theatre which has been reopened in 1999 under municipal management after having being closed for 29 years. May is the month for festivities in Badalona. On the occasion of the celebration of Saint Anastasi, the patron saint of Badalona, activities and festivals are organized all around the city. The most important celebration takes place the day before Saint Anastasi day when, at night, people gather at the maritime promenade to participate in the popular Cremada del Dimoni (Burning Devil), similar to the famous Valencia Fallas. Despite the famous saying "Badalona, Bressol del Basquetbol" (Badalona Cradle of Basketball), the citizens play a lot of different and varied sports, in numerous sports complexes. The most important of these sports complexes is the Palau Municipal d'Esports, Municipal Sports Palace, than won Mies Van der Rohe award in 1992. This palace was the setting for basketball competition during the Olympic Games in 1992.

Source: Wiki & Video Europe
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Barcelona, Spain on www.CheckMyCity.com

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the eleventh-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Ruhr Area, Madrid and Milan with the population 4,185,000. 4,9 million people live in Barcelona metropolitan area. The main part of a union of adjacent cities and municipalities named Área Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) with a population of 3,186,461 in area of 636 km² (density 5.010 hab/km²). It is located on the Mediterranean coast (41°23′N 2°11′E / 41.383°N 2.183°E / 41.383; 2.183) between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft). Barcelona is recognised as a global city because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts and international trade. Barcelona is a major economic centre with one of Europe's principal Mediterranean ports, and Barcelona International Airport is the second largest in Spain after the Madrid-Barajas Airport (handles about 30 million passengers per year). Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the Counts of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, it became one of the most important cities of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination and has a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned are architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is well known in recent times for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona. As the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona houses the seat of the Catalan government, known as the Generalitat de Catalunya; of particular note are the executive branch, the parliament, and the Supreme Court of Catalonia. The city is also the capital of the Barcelonès comarca (shire). Barcelona has a great number of museums, which cover different areas and eras. The National Museum of Art of Catalonia possesses a well-known collection of Romanesque art while the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art focuses on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art. The Fundació Joan Miró, Picasso Museum and Fundació Antoni Tàpies hold important collections of these world-renowned artists. Several museums cover the fields of history and archeology, like the City History Museum, the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the Archeology Museum of Catalonia, the Barcelona Maritime Museum and the private-owned Egyptian Museum. The Erotic museum of Barcelona is among the most peculiar ones, while Cosmocaixa is a science museum that received the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006. The Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter" in Catalan) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernisme architecture (often known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe), developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. A great number of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. His best known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by private donations. As of 2007, completion is planned for 2026. The Space-Time Towers in The Rise of Darkrai is also heavily based on the Sagrada Família church. Barcelona is also home to Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion. Designed in 1929 for the Internation Exposition for Germany. It is an iconic building designed by one of the most influential architects of the 20th century.

Source: Wikipedia & Travel Spain
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