The Roman Wall of Barcelona

 The Roman Wall of Barcelona


We were touring the Gothic Quarter for the day and one of the first few things our tour guide (Nadim) talked about was this wall. Back in the day there was a wall that surrounded certain parts or Barcelona. Some parts are still up/reserved; for example, Plaça Nova, to the right of the Cathedral, is good point to start to see the remains of the wall. After some research, I found that four towers have been preserved, two in the Casa de l’Ardiaca, the archdeacon’s house, and two more either side of Carrer del Bisbe, which flanked one of the four entrances into the old Roman town.


After doing further research, this wall holds a lot of historical identity and regionalism which connects to my POL 130 class. For instance, the wall represents a time when Barcelona had a distinct urban and administrative identity, which Catalan nationalists sometimes invoke to assert historical legitimacy for greater independence from Spain. After learning about empirical research in class and through the readings, the Roman Wall symbolizes historical continuity and identity, which are key variables in empirical research. 


One benefit this experience had for me, was simply learning more about Barcelona's history and being able to physically see and touch something so historical. I pretty much know nothing about Barcelona's 
history so it makes it a more fun learning experience when
I am right there in front of it. 

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