Roman Walls

Hello everyone and welcome to Barcelona!

My name is Maria, and I’ll be your guide today on this tour through one of the most fascinating and ancient corners of the city: the Gothic Quarter.

Here, among narrow alleys and hidden squares, lies the living history of over 2,000 years. We’ll walk over the remains of the ancient Roman city of Barcino, discover medieval walls, Gothic cathedrals, and secrets that have survived through the centuries.

You’ll see how this area blends the old with the new, the mythical with the real, art with everyday life.

Throughout the tour, I invite you to take photos and, most importantly, let yourself be carried away by the unique charm of this place.

Ready to travel through time? Then let’s begin!

Barcelona, known as Barcino in Roman times, was founded around the 1st century BC as a Roman colony. The city grew rapidly due to its strategic location near the Mediterranean Sea, which facilitated trade and communications.

In the 3rd century the Visigoths from northern Europe arrived, so the Romans built a system of walls to defend themselves from possible invaders.

The Roman walls of Barcelona, built in the 3rd century AD, were a symbol of the power and organization of the Roman Empire in Hispania. The city was surrounded by 74 towers, some of which are still preserved.

The square towers in front of you are some of those 74 towers that surrounded the city, and the rounded ones are a gate, the only entrance that remains from Roman times, the same one used by the Romans 1,700 years ago to enter the city.

This area, surrounded by the first walls, is the origin of Barcelona and is what we know today as the Gothic Quarter.

Head to your left to see Barcelona’s magnificent cathedral.