Roman City Walls and Cathedral, Barcelona

Trace of two past Empires here.

On the right the second Roman Walls of Barcino constructed in the 4th Century. They consist of frequent tall towers, but did not stop the city being conquered by the Visogoths in the early 5th Century.

In the centre of the picture is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, hich was constructed from the 13th to 15th Century.

This was at the height of the prosperity of the Kingdon of Aragon and Catalonia, when Catalan merchants dominated the Mediterranean trade. In 1479 Ferdinand II succeeded to the throne of Aragon and Catalonia and his wife Isabella I was already the reigning Queen of Castille - thus creating the unified Kingdom of Spain.

This marked the end of Barcelona's pre-eminence as MAdrid became the centre of royal power and the colonisation of the Americas switched trade to Seville. Ironically Ferdinand and Isabella received Christopher Colombus on his return from thre "New World" in Barcelona in 1493.