Editing Barcelona (section)

=== 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.