Palau de Les Heures, Barcelona, Spain

The capital of Catalonia is unequivocally a Mediterranean city, not only because of its geographic³ location but also and above all because of its history, tradition and cultural influences. The documented history of the city dates back to the founding of a Roman colony on its soil in the second century B.C. Modern Barcelona experienced spectacular growth and economic revival⁴ at the onset⁵ of industrialization during the second half of the 19th century. The 1888 World's Fair became a symbol of the capacity for hard work and the international outlook projected for the city. Culture and the arts flourished in Barcelona and in all of Catalonia; the splendor⁶ achieved by Catalonian modernism is one of the most patent displays.

Barcelona, more than just a single city, is really a collection of multi-faceted and diverse cities. The visitor unfamiliar⁷ with its history might be surprised by the fact that such a modern and enterprising city preserves its historic Gothic center almost intact, or by the curious contrast between the maze⁸ of narrow streets and the grid-like layout of the Eixample, the urban planning "Enlargement" project of the end of the 19th century; or that beside a modern high-rise, we can also find a quaint⁹ square where the most outstanding decorative¹⁰ element is a chimney, an echo of the old factories that were installed there in the past.