Barcelona Before the Arrival of the Romans

The area of Barcelona and Costa Brava became inhabited relatively late, just at the end of the 1st millennium BC. The first human group that settled down in the neighborhood belonged to Laietana which is the Iberian people. Several settlements were established by them such as Barkeno and Laie. The first one was situated on the Taber hill, today this is the area of Ciutat Vella, the second one on the area of Montjuic.

It is possible that the territory was occupied by Carthaginian invaders conducted by Hamilcar Barca (father of Hannibal, the famous general who invaded a great area from southern Europe with his elephants).but there are not too much evidence that prove this theory.

Barcelona in the Time of the Roman Empire

Later, around 19 BC, like the entire Iberian Peninsula, the area of Barcelona became part of the Roman Empire. Romans established there a city named Barcino. It was situated in the area of the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) and Ciutat Vella. Though this was not one of the most significant settlements in the area, due to its favorable positions, it was developing seriously during the Roman era.

Christianity in Barcelona

Christianity appeared in the area in the 3rd or 4th century. In 343 was built the first Christian basilica in the town which can be considered to be the ancestor of Barcelona Cathedral (Catedral de Santa Eulalia).

The influence of Romans on the city and on its history is quite significant. Many buildings were constructed in that period, moreover the Christianity arrived to the city due to the Romans. Remains from Roman constructions can be admired in several points of the city. For example, in the basement of the museum located on Grand Royal Palace, Plaça del Rei, you can take a look at the ruins of the wall from the era of Romans and at the baptistry of the ancient church.

You can also visit Palau de la Generalitat (Palace of the Generalitat of Catalonia), situated on Plaça de Sant Jaume in the Gothic Quarter. Plaça de Sant Jaume served as an important meeting place in the times of the Roman Empire. There was built the Temple of Augustus. Near the square you can see the ruins of this ancient construction.

For those tourists who are extremely interested in the ancient history and would like to see more Roman remains than those mentioned above, we recommend to visit other nearby towns that have already existed in the Roman era. For instance, a day trip to Girona or to Tarragona would be a great experience. These towns played a more important role in the times of the Roman Empire than Barcelona. Due to this, a great variety of ancient remains can be admired in them.

Barcelona After the Fall of the Roman Empire

During the the 5th and 6th centuries the Roman Empire lost its power and importance. Together with the fall of the Roman Empire the Migration period started during which a great number of barbarian tribes conquered most of Europe. Catalonia was not an exception, and in the 6th century the area of Barcelona became the territory of Visigoths (a Germanic tribe). The town was renamed by them, it was call Barchinona. The Visigoths controlled Catalonia for almost 100 years (for additional information: Barcelona in the Middle Ages).

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