Roman walls of Barcelona, Roman city walls in Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Spain
The Roman walls of Barcelona are an ancient fortification system surrounding the city's historic center with multiple rectangular towers. The structure combines stone with concrete cores and was built and reinforced over an extended period.
Barcino was founded between 15 and 10 BC, and its first wall, of simple construction, was begun in the 1st century BC with four gates. After Frankish and Alemannic raids from around 250, a second wall was built over the first in the 4th century, a double wall 2 m thick with 81 towers up to 18 m high. Much was demolished in the 19th century.
The preserved sections show how Romans built with regular stone blocks fitted together in visible patterns. You can see how they created durable structures using straightforward methods that have lasted to today.
The walls are visible at several spots throughout the old city, especially accessible next to the cathedral. You can walk along the stones on foot and explore different sections and their conditions.
A medieval chapel was built directly on top of the Roman stones, merging two different historical periods into one structure. This stacking shows how later generations reused and respected the older foundations.
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