The Citadel

Before going to meet the tram we shall visit the park of the Citadel, el Parc de la Ciutadella. In this particular case I think that some reference to its history is needed, not much just some lines. And if you were more interested in its story, there are a couple of museums close enough just ready to offer you the whole and terrible history of that flat piece of land. 300 years ago Europe was in war, not was the first time neither the last time. Two royal families were fighting to rule the Spanish Empire, because its emperor had no offspring.  In this war, like all wars, everybody had to took sides. In Spain Catalonia and others, took side for Archduke Charles (Austriacists), Castile and others took side for King Phillip the 5th (Borbonics). War of the Spanish Succession (wiki) No war has good endings. The Austracists lost the war in Spain, and Barcelona was keep under a bloody siege. We can think that is very common in wars. But the worst was done after the war, a Citadel was build, not to defend or protect anything or anybody. "In 1714, after a 13-month war (War of the Spanish Succession), Barcelona fell to the army of Philip V of Spain. In order to maintain control over the city, and to prevent the Catalans from rebelling as they had in the previous century, King Philips V built the citadel of Barcelona, at that time the largest fortress in Europe. A substantial part of the district it was constructed in (La Ribera) was destroyed to obtain the necessary space, leaving its inhabitants homeless. The fortress was characterized by having five corners, which gave the citadel defensive power, and by a rather wide surrounding margin, serving as location for the army's cannons. It included enough buildings to house 8,000 people. Hundreds of Catalonians were forced to work on the construction for three years, while the rest of the city provided financial backing for this and for warfare-related expenses as well, with a new tax named el cadestre." (Wikipedia) The Citadel was the largest fortress in Europe at that moment, and its canons were aiming to the city and its inhabitants. And that happened in the same century The United States got its independence from England, and France made its revolution against monarchy. I think that should be known by everybody who visits this now merry place.