32/50.- Barcelona, Vila Olímpica - buildings

These are some of the buildings constructed for 1992 Olympic games. Let's learn something else about the history of Barcelona.

Catalonia was part of the Roman Empire. In the 8th century, the Arabs invaded the area, and it was later reconquered by the Catholic troops of "Jaume I, el Conqueridor". In the 12th and 13th centuries, Catalonia had its best times. During this time, a great part of the Mediterranean sea was dominated by its troops, the "Almogavers". The first democratic parliament in the world was established in its capital -- Barcelona.

In the 15th century the King of Catalonia and Aragon, Fernando, married the Queen of Castile, Isabel I. In 1492 America was discovered, and Castilla (the rest of the Spanish Crown) had a very prosperous time, but Catalonia could not trade with America till the 17th Century. In 1714 Catalonia was invaded by the Castilian army, and lost its government and the Catalan language was forbidden. In the 19th Century some Catalan intellectuals recovered Catalan as a culture language. At the beginning of the 20th Century there was a Catalanist political movement, and some autonomous Government was given back to Catalonia. Then in 1936 a fascist Dictatorship, that lasted 40 years, took power in Spain, and the Catalan autonomous government and the Catalan language were again forbidden. In 1975 Spain recovered the democratic system, and Catalonia part of its government. We still dream of having our own independent state.

I hope you didn't get bored with this long explanation, but I thought it was necessary. We will now take the metro and go to Plaça Espanya ...

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