Citadel of Barcelona
The Citadel of Barcelona (in Spanish, Ciudadela de Barcelona; in Catalan, Fortalesa de la Ciutadella) was a bastion fort citadel built in Barcelona. The works commenced in 1714 and, at the time of its construction, it was the largest fortress in Europe, capable of housing 8,000 troops.[1]
It was designed by the military engineer
Although its fortifications were dismantled in the mid-19th century, some of its original buildings still remain, including its
Background
The city of Barcelona is flanked on its southwestern edge by
Construction
The Citadel was constructed in the district of La Ribera, half of which was knocked down to obtain the necessary space,[3] leaving its inhabitants homeless.
In 1718, the captain general of Catalonia,
Barceloneta
In 1749, the captain general of Catalonia, Jaime de Guzmán-Dávalos y Spínola, 2nd Marquis de la Mina, commissioned Juan Martín Cermeño to build the Barceloneta, a quarter that was rebuilt around the fortress, in the Ciutat Vella (Old City). The project aimed to solve several issues, among which that of providing a solution for the inhabitants who had lost their homes in la Ribera was only mentioned as a secondary consideration.[4]
The works commenced in 1753 and by 1757, 244 houses had been built. Two years later, the number of houses built had reached 329, for 1,570 inhabitants. The works included the construction of the Church of Sant Miquel del Port, completed in 1755.[6]
History
Peninsular War
On 10 February 1808, General Duhesme entered Spain at the head of 14,000 men, half French, half Italians, and marched down towards Barcelona. On 29 February, General Lecchi, the officer commanding the French troops passing through Barcelona, marched his division through the city to the gate of the citadel and suddenly entered the fortress, before the Spanish garrison understood what was happening and, without a fight, evicted the Spanish troops.[7]
Mid-19th century
Although, by 1841, the city's authorities had already decided to destroy the fortress, which was hated by Barcelona's citizens,
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-3-319-76744-4.
- Real Academia de la Historia. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ^ (in Spanish) "Historia de Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera". Ajuntament de Barcelona. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ a b (in Spanish) "Historia de la Barceloneta". Ajuntament de Barcelona. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- Real Academia de la Historia. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- Real Academia de la Historia. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ Oman, Charles (1902). A History of the Peninsula War, Vol. I, pp. 36-37. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ (in Spanish) Romea Castro, Celia (1994). Barcelona romántica y revolucionaria: una imagen literaria de la ciudad, década de 1833 a 1843. Edicions Universitat Barcelona, pp. 113-116. Google Books. Retrieved 12 February 2023.