Editing Barcelona (section)

== History ==
{{Main|History of Barcelona}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of Barcelona}}
{{See also|Street names in Barcelona}}
{{See also|Jews of Catalonia}}

=== Legendary founding ===
The origin of the earliest settlement at the site of present-day Barcelona is unclear. The ruins of an early settlement have been found, including different tombs and dwellings dating to earlier than 5000 BC.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Servei d'Arqueologia of Institut de Cultura de Barcelona |title=Caserna de Sant Pau del Camp |url=http://cartaarqueologica.bcn.cat/989 |website=CartaArqueologica |publisher=Ajuntament de Barcelona |access-date=2 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224118/http://cartaarqueologica.bcn.cat/989 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |page=Description and Historical Notes |language=es}}</ref><ref name="MontañaCamposFarré2008">{{cite journal |author1=Montaña, M. M. |author2=O. V. Campos |author3=R. Farré |title=Study of the Neolithic Excavation Site of the Sant Pau del Camp Barracks |journal=Quarhis |date=2008 |volume=II |issue=4 |page=3 |url=https://www.bcn.cat/.../04_QUARHIS_01_jaciment. |access-date=2 May 2016}}{{dead link|date=September 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In Greek mythology, the founding of Barcelona had been attributed to the mythological [[Hercules]].

=== Punic Barcelona ===
According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by Punic ([[Phoenicia|Phoenician]]) settlers, who had trading posts along the Catalonian coast.<ref name="britannica.com"/><ref>{{Cite book |last1=López-Ruiz |first1=Carolina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GOXgEAAAQBAJ&dq=phoenician+history+of+barcelona&pg=PP1 |title=The Oxford Handbook of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean |last2=Doak |first2=Brian R. |date=2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-765442-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bierling |first1=Marilyn R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VKISiDr6CnMC&q=barcelona&pg=PA155 |title=The Phoenicians in Spain: An Archaeological Review of the Eighth-sixth Centuries B.C.E. : a Collection of Articles Translated from Spanish |last2=Gitin |first2=Seymour |date=2002 |publisher=Eisenbrauns |isbn=978-1-57506-056-9 |language=en}}</ref> In particular, some historians attribute the foundation of the city directly to the historical [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] general, [[Hamilcar Barca]], father of [[Hannibal]], who supposedly named the city ''Barcino'' after his family in the 3rd century BC,<ref name="britannica.com"/><ref>Oros. vii. 143; Miñano, ''Diccion.'' vol.&nbsp;i. p.&nbsp;391; Auson. ''Epist.'' xxiv. 68, 69, ''Punica Barcino''.</ref> but this theory has been questioned.<ref name="Corporation1957" /> Archeological evidence in the form of coins from the 3rd century BC have been found on the hills at the foot of Montjuïc with the name Bárkeno written in an ancient script in the Iberian language{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}. Thus, we can conclude{{clarify|who "we", and why do we need to conclude anything? Wikipedia is not for drawing independent conclusions, but for quoting sources|date=November 2023}} that the Laietani{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}, an ancient Iberian (pre-Roman) people of the Iberian peninsula, who inhabited the area occupied by the city of Barcelona around 3–2 BC{{clarify|not clear if years or centuries are meant in the source; based on the context in the source, presuming years here would be too precise a dating - so likely it's centuries|date=November 2023}}, called the area Bàrkeno, which means "The Place of the Plains" (Barrke = plains/terrace).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.barcelonacheckin.com/en/r/barcelona_tourism_guide/photo-articles/barcino-barcelona.php |title=From Barcino to Barcelona |access-date=16 September 2022 |archive-date=1 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401191847/https://www.barcelonacheckin.com/en/r/barcelona_tourism_guide/photo-articles/barcino-barcelona.php |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=An academic source would be preferable. | date=September 2023}}

=== Roman Barcelona ===
{{See also|Roman Sepulchral way|Roman walls of Barcelona}}[[File:Barcino marble barcelona.jpg|thumb|left|A marble plaque in the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona, dated from around 110–130 AD and dedicated to the Roman colony of Barcino]]

In about 15&nbsp;BC, the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] redrew the town as a ''[[castra|castrum]]'' (Roman military camp) centred on the "''Mons Taber''", a little hill near the [[Generalitat]] (Catalan Government) and city hall buildings. The Roman Forum, at the crossing of the [[Cardo Maximus]] and [[Decumanus Maximus]], was approximately placed where current [[Plaça de Sant Jaume]] is. Thus, the political centre of the city, [[Catalonia]], and its domains has remained in the same place for over 2,000 years.

Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of ''Faventia'',<ref>[[Pliny the Elder|Plin.]] iii. 3. s.&nbsp;4</ref> or, in full, ''Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino''<ref>Inscr. ap. Gruter, p. 426, nos. 5, 6.</ref> or ''Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino''. [[Pomponius Mela]]<ref>ii. 6</ref> mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour ''[[Tarragona|Tarraco]]'' (modern [[Tarragona]]), but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour.<ref>Avien. ''Ora Maritima.'' 520: "Et Barcilonum amoena sedes ditium."</ref> It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens.<ref>Paul. Dig. 1. tit. 15, de Cens.</ref> The city minted its own coins; some from the era of [[Galba]] survive.

Important Roman vestiges are displayed in [[Plaça del Rei]] underground, as a part of the [[Barcelona City History Museum]] (MUHBA); the typically Roman grid plan is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the ''[[El Gòtic|Barri Gòtic]]'' (Gothic Quarter). Some remaining fragments of the [[Roman walls of Barcelona|Roman walls]] have been incorporated into the cathedral.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/spain/barcelona/walls/walls.html |title=Roman walls, Barcelona |publisher=Bluffton.edu |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723083724/http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/spain/barcelona/walls/walls.html |archive-date=23 July 2013}}</ref> The cathedral, Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Barcelona, is also sometimes called ''La Seu'', which simply means cathedral (and see, among other things) in Catalan.<ref>[https://catedralbcn.org/ Welcome page in Catalan] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515142108/https://catedralbcn.org/ |date=15 May 2019 }}, Cathedral of Barcelona, {{in lang|ca}}. There is an English version of this page and website, as well as a Spanish one, but the word ''seu'' seems to be explained better in the Catalan version... [Retrieved 14 September 2019].</ref><ref>[http://dcvb.iec.cat/ "Seu"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104131743/http://dcvb.iec.cat/ |date=4 November 2015 }}, entry in the Diccionari Alcover-Moll, {{in lang|ca}}. [Retrieved 14 September 2019].</ref> It is said to have been founded in 343.

=== Medieval Barcelona ===
The city was conquered by the [[Visigoths]] in the early 5th century, becoming for a few years the capital of all [[Hispania]]. After being conquered by the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyads]] in the early 8th century, it was conquered after a [[Siege of Barcelona (801)|siege in 801]] by [[Charlemagne]]'s son [[Louis the Pious|Louis]], who made Barcelona the seat of the [[Carolingian Empire|Carolingian]] "[[Marca Hispanica|Hispanic March]]" (''Marca Hispanica''), a [[buffer zone]] ruled by the [[Counts of Barcelona|Count of Barcelona]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=GSM Barcelona - Barcelona History |url=https://www.gsmbarcelona.eu/default/gsmb-campus/barcelona-history |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=GSM Barcelona |language=en |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326033542/https://www.gsmbarcelona.eu/default/gsmb-campus/barcelona-history |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Muralla Raval.JPG|thumb|The remaining section of the medieval walls]]

The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include much of modern [[Catalonia]], although in 985, Barcelona was [[Looting|sacked]] by the army of [[Almanzor]].<ref>''The Usatges of Barcelona: The Fundamental Law of Catalonia'', ed. Donald J. Kagay, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994), 7.</ref> The sack was so traumatic that most of Barcelona's population was either killed or enslaved.<ref>Collins, Roger (2012). ''Caliphs and Kings, 796–1031''. Blackwell Publishing, p. 191.</ref> In 1137, [[Kingdom of Aragon|Aragon]] and the [[Counts of Barcelona|County of Barcelona]] merged in [[dynastic union]]<ref name="bisson_31">{{cite book |title=The medieval Crown of Aragon. A short story |chapter=II. The age of the Early Count-Kings (1137–1213) (The Principate of Ramon Berenguer IV 1137–1162) |year=1986 |editor=Clarendon Press – Oxford |author=Bisson, T. N. |page=31 |isbn=978-0-19-820236-3}}<!-- |access-date=3 May 2008--></ref><ref>{{cite book |url=http://libro.uca.edu/aarhms/newsletters/AAHRMSFall07text.pdf |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20081003182453/http://libro.uca.edu/aarhms/newsletters/aahrmsfall07text.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 October 2008 |title=Els impostos indirectes en el regne de Mallorca. |author=Cateura Benàsser, Pau |year=2006 |publisher=Editorial El Tall |access-date=24 April 2008 |isbn=978-84-96019-28-7}} El Tall dels Temps, 14. (Palma de) Mallorca: El Tall, 1996.</ref> by the marriage of [[Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona|Ramon Berenguer IV]] and [[Petronilla of Aragon]], their titles finally borne by only one person when their son [[Alfonso II of Aragon]] ascended to the throne in 1162. His territories were later to be known as the [[Crown of Aragon]], which conquered many overseas possessions and ruled the western [[Mediterranean Sea]] with outlying territories [[Naples|in Naples]] and Sicily and as far as [[Duchy of Athens|Athens]] in the 13th century.[[File:The Call Mayor- Carrer de Marlet y Carrer de la Fruita.jpg|thumb]]

Barcelona also had a substantial Jewish community at the time, then the largest [[Jews of Catalonia|Jewish community]] in the Crown of Aragon. Called "[https://www.barcelona.cat/museuhistoria/en/itineraris/el-call-de-barcelona the Call]," for the many small streets that defined the area, it later became enclosed. [[Montjuïc|Montjuïc or Montjuich]], in medieval Latin and Catalan, meaning "Jewish Mountain" and the birthplace of the city, is the site of a medieval Jewish cemetery, Jews continued to live in Barcelona until the [[Massacre of 1391]] diminished their numbers. The [[Spanish Inquisition]] forced the remaining Jews who refused to convert to Christianity to be burned at the stake, or sell their property and leave. 

Barcelona was the leading [[History of slavery|slave trade]] centre of the Crown of Aragon up until the 15th century, when it was eclipsed by [[Valencia]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=González Arévalo |title=La esclavitud en la España Medieval. (siglos XIV-XV). Generalidades y rasgos diferenciales |publisher=[[Jaume I University|Universitat Jaime I]] |year=2019 |issue=47 |journal=Millars. Espai I Història |location=Castellón de la Plana |pages=16–17 |issn=1132-9823 |url=http://www.e-revistes.uji.es/index.php/millars/article/view/4038/3435 |access-date=24 July 2020 |archive-date=25 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725082033/http://www.e-revistes.uji.es/index.php/millars/article/view/4038/3435 |url-status=live }}</ref> It initially fed from eastern and Balkan slave stock later drawing from a [[Maghreb|Maghribian]] and, ultimately, [[Subsaharan]] pool of slaves.{{Sfn|González Arévalo|2019|p=17}}

The Bank or [[Taula de canvi de Barcelona]], often viewed as the oldest public bank in Europe, was established by the city [[magistrate]]s in 1401. It originated from necessities of the state, as did the [[Medici Bank#Rise|Bank of Venice]] (1402) and the [[Bank of Saint George|Bank of Genoa]] (1407).<ref>''The Bankers Magazine'', volume 11, page 595, J. Smith Homans Jr., New York 1857.</ref>

=== Barcelona under the Spanish monarchy ===
[[File:Wyngaerde Barcelona 1563.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Barcelona in 1563 by [[Anton van den Wyngaerde]]]]
In the beginning of the Early Modern period, Barcelona lost political primacy, but the economy managed to achieve a balance between production capacity and imports.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=L' economia urbana de Barcelona i la Guerra de Successió|first=Manuel|last=Arranz|first2=Ramon|last2=Grau|page=117|journal=Recerques: història, economia, cultura|volume=24|year=1991|url=https://raco.cat/index.php/Recerques/article/view/137685/241497|issn=0210-380X}}</ref>

In the context of the wider early recovery of Catalonia from the [[The General Crisis|17th-century crisis]] in the second half of the century, increasing maritime activity since 1675 doubled traffic in the port of Barcelona compared to figures from the beginning of the 17th century.<ref>[[Stanley G. Payne|Payne, Stanley G.]] [http://libro.uca.edu/payne1/payne15.htm Chapter 15: A History of Spain and Portugal], {{dead link|date=August 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In the late 17th and early 18th century, Barcelona repeatedly endured the effects of war, including the 1691 bombing, the sieges of 1697, 1704, 1705, 1706, and the 1713 blockade and ensuing 1714 siege and assault.{{Sfn|Arranz|Grau|1991|p=135–136}}

In the 18th century, the population grew from 30,000 to about 100,000 inhabitants, as the city became one of the key mercantile centres in the Western Mediterranean, with inland influence up to [[Zaragoza]], and to the south up to [[Alicante]].<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.3989/hispania.1998.v58.i199.645|url=https://hispania.revistas.csic.es/index.php/hispania/article/view/645/639|page=510|first=David R.|last=Ringrose|title=Historia urbana y urbanización en la España moderna|issn=1988-8368|location=Madrid|volume=58|issue=1999|year=1998|journal=Hispania|publisher=[[Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas]]|doi-access=free}}</ref> A fortress was built at [[Montjuïc]] that overlooked the harbour.

Much of Barcelona was negatively affected by the [[Peninsular War|Napoleonic wars]], but the start of industrialization saw the fortunes of the province improve.

=== Transforming the city ===
In the mid-1850s, Barcelona was struggling with population density as it became an industrial, [[port city]] and European capital. The city's density was at 856 people per hectare, more than double that of Paris. Mortality rates were on the rise and any outbreaks of disease would devastate the population. To solve the issue, a civil engineer named [[Ildefons Cerdà]] proposed a plan for a new district known as the [[Eixample]]. The citizens of Barcelona had begun to demolish the medieval wall surrounding and constricting the city. Cerdà thought it best to transform the land outside the walls into an area characterized by a scientific approach to [[urbanization]]. His proposal consisted of a grid of streets to unite the old city and surrounding villages. There would also be wide streets to allow people to breathe clean air, gardens in the centre of each [[street block]], integration of rich and poor giving both groups access to the same services, and smooth-flowing traffic. Urban quality, egalitarianism, hygiene, sunlight, and efficiency were all major keys for Cerdà's vision. Not everything he imagined would be realized within the Eixample district, but the iconic octagonal superblocks with chamfered corners for better visibility are his direct brainchild and remain immensely helpful even 170 years later. The district and its ideals were not appreciated at the time. The city council awarded the design of the extension plan to another architect. The Spanish government was the one to step in and impose Cerdà's plan, laying the groundwork for many more tensions between the Spanish and Catalan administrations. Regardless, some of the upper class citizens of Barcelona were excited by the new plan and began a race to build "the biggest, tallest, most attractive house" in the district. Their interest and money fueled the rich diversity that we now see in the district's architecture. In the end, Cerdà's ideas would have a lasting impact on Barcelona's development, earning it international recognition for its highly efficient approach to urban planning and design.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bausells |first=Marta |date=2016-04-01 |title=Story of cities #13: Barcelona's unloved planner invents science of 'urbanisation' |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/01/story-cities-13-eixample-barcelona-ildefons-cerda-planner-urbanisation |access-date=2023-12-01 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=David |date=2019-04-08 |title=Barcelona's remarkable history of rebirth and transformation |url=https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/8/18266760/barcelona-spain-urban-planning-history |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Vox |language=en |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204215206/https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/8/18266760/barcelona-spain-urban-planning-history |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== The Spanish Civil War and the Franco period ===
[[File:RepublicanWoman1936GTaro.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Woman training for a Republican militia]]'' by [[Gerda Taro]], [[Somorrostro|Somorrostro beach]] (1936)]]
[[File:Government of the Republican Spain in Barcelona. 2.jpg|thumb|Barcelona was the capital of the [[Second Spanish Republic|Republic of Spain]] from November 1937 until January 1939.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/museuhistoria/es/publicaciones/juan-negrin-1892-1956-barcelona-capital-de-la-republica |title=Juan Negrín 1892–1956. Barcelona, capital de la República |author=MHCB, City Council of Barcelona, Institute of Culture, SECC |year=2006 |location=Barcelona |isbn=84-96411-13-3 |access-date=17 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418092952/http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/museuhistoria/es/publicaciones/juan-negrin-1892-1956-barcelona-capital-de-la-republica |archive-date=18 April 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Historia mínima de Cataluña |location=Madrid |publisher=Turner Publicaciones S.L. |isbn=978-84-16142-08-8 |author=Canal, Jordi |year=2015}}</ref> During that [[Spanish Civil War]] period, both Barcelona and Madrid were still under the rule of the republic. In the image [[Manuel Azaña|Azaña]] and [[Juan Negrín|Negrín]] on the city outskirts.]]
Shortly after the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic, in 1931, it became the capital of the [[Autonomous Region of Catalonia (1931–1939)|autonomous region of Catalonia]]. During the [[Spanish Civil War]], the city, and Catalonia in general, were resolutely Republican. Many enterprises and public services were [[Collective ownership|collectivized]] by the [[Confederación Nacional del Trabajo|CNT]] and UGT unions. As the power of the Republican government and the Generalitat diminished, much of the city was under the effective control of anarchist groups. The anarchists lost control of the city to their own allies, the Communists and official government troops, after the street fighting of the Barcelona [[May Days]]. The [[Fall of Barcelona (1939)|fall of the city]] on 26 January 1939, caused a mass exodus of civilians who fled to the French border. The resistance of Barcelona to [[Francisco Franco|Franco]]'s ''coup d'état'' was to have lasting effects after the defeat of the Republican government. The autonomous institutions of [[Catalonia]] were abolished,<ref>Decree of 5 April 1938.</ref> and the use of the [[Catalan language]] in public life was suppressed. Barcelona remained the second largest city in Spain, at the heart of a region which was relatively industrialized and prosperous, despite the devastation of the civil war. The result was a large-scale immigration from poorer regions of Spain (particularly [[Andalusia]], [[Murcia]] and [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]]), which in turn led to rapid urbanization.

=== Late twentieth century ===
In 1992, Barcelona hosted the [[1992 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]]. The after-effects of this are credited with driving major changes in what had, up until then, been a largely industrial city. As part of the preparation for the games, industrial buildings along the sea-front were demolished and {{cvt|2|mi|km|order=flip|0|abbr=off}} of beach were created. New construction increased the road capacity of the city by 17%, the sewage handling capacity by 27% and the amount of new green areas and beaches by 78%. Between 1990 and 2004, the number of hotel rooms in the city doubled. Perhaps more importantly, the outside perception of the city was changed making, by 2012, Barcelona the 12th most popular city destination in the world and the 5th amongst European cities.<ref>"[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/53030/Barcelona Barcelona (Spain)]". Encyclopædia Britannica. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013185559/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/53030/Barcelona |date=13 October 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-olympic-games-changed-barcelona-forever-2012-7?IR=T |title=How The Olympic Games Changed Barcelona Forever |work=[[Business Insider]] |first=Adam |last=Taylor |date=26 July 2012 |access-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819191201/http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-olympic-games-changed-barcelona-forever-2012-7?IR=T |archive-date=19 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/after-the-party-what-happens-when-the-olympics-leave-town-901629.html |title=After The Party: What happens when the Olympics leave town |date=18 August 2008 |first=Simon |last=Usborne |work=[[The Independent]] |access-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814121808/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/after-the-party-what-happens-when-the-olympics-leave-town-901629.html |archive-date=14 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://olympicstudies.uab.es/pdf/wp084_eng.pdf |title=The economic impact of the Barcelona Olympic Games |author=Brunet i Cid, Ferran |publisher=[[Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona]] |year=2002 |access-date=19 August 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419040527/http://olympicstudies.uab.es/pdf/wp084_eng.pdf |archive-date=19 April 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Legacy.pdf |title=Legacies of the Games |date=December 2013 |publisher=[[International Olympic Committee]] |access-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829045917/https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Legacy.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Recent history ===
{{Main|History of Barcelona|Timeline of Barcelona}}
{{Multiple image
| align             = right
| image1            = 26O Llibertat 191026 60383 dc 2 (48979743792).jpg
| width1            = 180
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = Supporters of [[Catalan independence movement|Catalan independence]] in October 2019
| image2            = 08.10.2017 Manifestació "Prou! Recuperem el seny" - Barcelona 17.jpg
| width2            = 180
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = Protest against independence in October 2017
| footer            = 
}}

The death of Franco in 1975 brought on a period of democratization throughout Spain. Pressure for change was particularly strong in Barcelona, which considered that it had been punished during nearly forty years of Francoism for its support of the Republican government.<ref name="Mock2011">{{cite book |author=Mock, Steven |title=Symbols of Defeat in the Construction of National Identity |url=https://archive.org/details/symbolsofdefeati0000mock |url-access=registration |date=29 December 2011 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-50352-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/symbolsofdefeati0000mock/page/n285 274] |access-date=22 October 2017}}</ref> Massive, but peaceful, demonstrations on 11 September 1977 assembled over a million people in the streets of Barcelona to call for the restoration of Catalan autonomy. It was granted less than a month later.<ref name="Friend2012">{{cite book |author=Friend, Julius W. |title=Stateless Nations: Western European Regional Nationalisms and the Old Nations |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-SF4-ip95MoC&pg=PA97 |date=19 June 2012 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-36179-9 |page=97 |access-date=22 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506002356/https://books.google.com/books?id=-SF4-ip95MoC&pg=PA97 |archive-date=6 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The development of Barcelona was promoted by two events in 1986: [[History of the European Communities (1973-1993)|Spanish accession to the European Community]], and particularly Barcelona's designation as host city of the [[1992 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="ParkinSharma1999">{{cite book |author1=Parkin, James |author2=D. Sharma |title=Infrastructure Planning |url=https://archive.org/details/infrastructurepl0000park |url-access=registration |date=1 January 1999 |publisher=Thomas Telford |isbn=978-0-7277-2747-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/infrastructurepl0000park/page/n184 173] |access-date=22 October 2017}}</ref><ref name="AbebeBolton2013">{{cite book |author1=Abebe, Ngiste |author2=Mary Trina Bolton |author3=Maggie Pavelka |author4=Morgan Pierstorff |title=Bidding for Development: How the Olympic Bid Process Can Accelerate Transportation Development |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y-4VAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 |date=19 November 2013 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4614-8912-2 |page=3 |access-date=22 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610011724/https://books.google.com/books?id=Y-4VAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 |archive-date=10 June 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> The process of [[urban regeneration]] has been rapid, and accompanied by a greatly increased international reputation of the city as a tourist destination. The increased cost of housing has led to a slight decline (−16.6%) in the population over the last two decades of the 20th century as many families move out into the suburbs. This decline has been reversed since 2001, as a new wave of immigration (particularly from Latin America and from [[Morocco]]) has gathered pace.<ref>The proportion of the population born outside of Spain rose from 3.9% in 2001 to 13.9% in 2006. {{cite web |url=http://www.bcn.es/estadistica/catala/dades/inf/guies/bcn.pdf |title=Guies Estadístiques: Barcelona en Xifres |date=November 2006 |publisher=Ajuntament de Barcelona |access-date=26 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220062823/http://www.bcn.es/estadistica/catala/dades/inf/guies/bcn.pdf |archive-date=20 February 2012}}</ref>

In 1987, an [[ETA (separatist group)|ETA]] [[car bomb]]ing at Hipercor [[Hipercor bombing|killed]] 21 people. On 17 August 2017, [[2017 Barcelona attacks|a van was driven into pedestrians on La Rambla]], killing 14 and injuring at least 100, one of whom later died. Other attacks took place elsewhere in Catalonia. The Prime Minister of Spain, [[Mariano Rajoy]], called the attack in Barcelona a [[jihadist]] attack. [[Amaq News Agency]] attributed indirect responsibility for the attack to the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] (ISIL).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-barcelona-victims-idUSKCN1AX24P |title=At least 13 dead in van crash in Barcelona city center: media |date=17 August 2017 |newspaper=Reuters |access-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820135534/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-barcelona-victims-idUSKCN1AX24P |archive-date=20 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ward |first1=Victoria |title=Barcelona scene |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/17/van-ploughs-crowd-barcelona1/ |website=telegraph.co.uk |publisher=The Telegraph |access-date=17 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817154958/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/17/van-ploughs-crowd-barcelona1/ |archive-date=17 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40975552 |title=Barcelona and Cambrils: 'Bigger' attacks were prepared |work=BBC News |date=18 August 2017 |access-date=20 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711062317/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40975552 |archive-date=11 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> During the 2010s, Barcelona became the focus city{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} for the ongoing [[Catalan independence movement]], its [[2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis|consequent standoff between the regional and national government]] and [[2019–2020 Catalan protests|later protests]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 September 2021 |title=Diez años de Diada mediática |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20210911/7713235/diez-anos-diada-mediatica.html |access-date=11 September 2021 |website=La Vanguardia |language=es |archive-date=11 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911073315/https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20210911/7713235/diez-anos-diada-mediatica.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2023, Barcelona was announced as the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for the 2024–2026 term. This means it will be the hub for discussion around global challenges including culture, heritage, urban planning and architecture. In addition to being the capital through 2026, it will also host the UIA World Congress of Architects for that year. The honour is befitting of Barcelona, as its history is peppered with architectural achievement and various iconic styles and influences. From its ancient Roman roots, to the Gothic and Modernisme movements, Barcelona has thrived through the way it ties together architecture and culture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=world |first=STIR |title=Barcelona announced as UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture throughout 2026 |url=https://www.stirworld.com/see-news-barcelona-announced-as-unesco-uia-world-capital-of-architecture-throughout-2026 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.stirworld.com |language=English |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204215207/https://www.stirworld.com/see-news-barcelona-announced-as-unesco-uia-world-capital-of-architecture-throughout-2026 |url-status=live }}</ref>