Barcelona Llibres

Following its defeat in the last battle on 13 September 1714, the relentless and systematic dismantling of the Catalan State began. One punishment, though, was specially reserved for Barcelona, the capital of that extinguished state and the last bastion of resistance. An example was to be made of it through its conversion into a stronghold and total submission to Spain's military power. This new situation led to a permanently stationed, disproportionately large military garrison and the obstinate survival of the city's old walls, which were regarded as a means of controlling, rather than defending, the city. In fact a new repressive architectural feature was added: La Ciutadella [The Citadel], whose construction required almost all the commercial and fishing neighbourhood of Ribera to be pulled down. Several generations of Barcelona residents struggled to have it taken down, but that goal would not be achieved until 1854-56, when the wall was demolished to make way for the burgeoning growth of the big metropolis. It is this turbulent 150-year period that we refer to as La ciutat captiva [The Captive City], when the city was a physically a prisoner of its own walls, and morally of the military power.