Barcelona

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Barcelona, a Town of Catalonia belonging to the King of Spain, it is a Sea-Port of the Mediterranean, bears the Title of a County, has a Sovereign Court and University, a Court of Inquisition, and a Bishoprick Suffragant to Taragona. It is a great, rich, fair, and well fortified Town, some Authors think it was built by Amilcar Barca a Carthaginian Captain about 300 years before our Saviours Birth. It's this Town Ptolemy calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; St. Paulinus, Barcinus; Jornandes, Barcelona; and others, Barcina and Barcilona, and think it was the place Plinius calls Faventia. It was under the Romans, and afterwards under the Visigoths, where their first King Ataulfus was murthered in 415. In the 8th Age, when the Sarazens settled themselves in Spain, they became Masters of Barcelona, the Spaniards endeavoured to retake it, but in vain. The French took it in 801. It's Governors had the Title of Counts. It's situated in a Plain by the Sea-side; There is the old and new Town, parted by a Wall, and round both is a strong Rampart, with Towers, and some Bastions, the Ditch is very deep. The Cathedral is a stately Building, as are most of the other Churches; The Streets are great and very clean, and the Key is very convenient and safe, being sheltered from Winds of one side by Mount Imi, and by another lesser Hill on the other side; At the end of the Key is the Light-House, and a little Fort. In the year of Christ 412, during the Reign of Honorius, this City was taken by Athaulphus King of the West-Goths, the Husband of Placidia that Emperor's Sister, and from thence forward it was the Seat of the Kings of that Nation, which was called Gottalonia and Cattalonia. In time they conquered the rest of Spain, and then Toledo became the Royal City till it was taken by the Saracens; It is 60 miles North of the Isle of Majorca, 134 South of Narbonne, and 300 miles E. of Madrid.