About the Venue
 The
city of Barcelona
In a privileged position on the northeastern coast of the Iberian
peninsula and the shores of the Mediterranean, Barcelona is the second
largest city in Spain in both size and population. It is also the
capital of Catalonia, 1 of the 17 Autonomous Communities that make up
Spain.
There are two official languages spoken in Barcelona: Catalan, generally
spoken in all of Catalonia, and Castillian Spanish. The city of
Barcelona has a population of 1.510.000, but this number spirals to more
than 4.000.000 if the outlying areas are also included.
The capital of Catalonia is unequivocally a Mediterranean city, not only
because of its geographic 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 revival at the onset 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 by the
city. Culture and the arts flourished in Barcelona and in all of
Catalonia; the splendor achieved by Catalonian modernism is one of the
most patent displays.
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