Badalona (, , , ) is a municipality to the immediate north east of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. It is located on the left bank of the Besòs River and on the Mediterranean Sea, in the Barcelona metropolitan area. By population, it is the third largest city in Catalonia and the twenty-third in Spain. It became a city in 1897.
Names
The name Badalona comes from ancient Iberian word Baitolo according to the legend of several bronze coins of the end of the 2nd century BC found in the city. This word was the origin of the Latin name Baetulo that was as the Romans named the new city they founded off the coast of present Badalona. The oldest mention of the name Baetulo is from De Chorographia of Pomponius Mela (43–44 AD), who use the same name for the Besòs river (named Bissaucio during the Middle Ages). Following the Roman era, during the High Middle Ages the name Baetulo evolved to Bitulona, which was the most common name but not the only one, because it is found in the Latin written documents other versions as Bedelona, Bitilona, Betulona, Bedalona and even Vitulona. The current name is documented already in 997 and by the 14th century was the most used and generalized.
History
The old remains of settlement are dated of the middle-new Neolithic (about 3500–2500 BC). The archeological finds consist of carved stone and silex tools which were found in Seriol hill and Manresà area and tombs with grave goods in Sistrells and Llefià quarters. Deposits of the bronze and Iron Age have been found in old brickyards (dated about 1800–1500 BC) many years ago and in the masies of Can Butinyà and Can Mora in the Canyet quarter (1500–1100 BC).
Before the settlement of the Romans in Hispania the territory of Badalona was populated by Iberians who were settled over the Boscà hill (198 metres above the sea level), from where it is possible to watch the coastline. The settlement is first dated at least on the 4th century BC and was totally abandoned by the 1st century AD due to the romanization. Despite the presence of the Iberians, the origins of the city usually are date around the year 100 BC, when the Romans founded a city ex novo on Rosés hill (26,8 metres) next to the coast. The Roman town's plan was based on their common scheme of the cardo and decumanus, occupying some 10 ha, with a line of walls. The Roman city was very dynamic, especially during the reign of Augustus, with an specialised vineyard agriculture destined to produce wine to export all over the empire. From the 3rd century, the city started declining and was almost depopulated and people fled to rustic villae. However, the few remains of the Late antiquity prove that Baetulo was never abandoned.
The current Badalona was formed in the 10th century, as a new urban nucleus built over the old Roman city and around the old forum and temple which was turned into a church. At the same time, a rural nucleus grew up outside the town walls. This rural and urban dichotomy would remain until the mid-18th century.
Sant Jeroni de la Murtra Monastery, built in the 14th century, is where the Catholic Monarchs would spend their summers. According to some authors, this is also where they received Christopher Columbus after his first voyage to the Americas.
During the 19th century Badalona remained as an agricultural and fishing centre, however this changed since 1848 with the arrival of the railway connecting the cities of Mataró and Barcelona, whose line installed a station in the village. This furthered the industrialization and economic development of Badalona and progressively made the traditional economic sectors decline. Because of the installation of industries, Badalona also became an important labour movement centre. Thanks to this, the village became a people attraction pole that doubled its population from 5.733 (1851) to 10.485 (1857) inhabitants, and by the end of the century Badalona had around 19.000 inhabitants. The demographic growth implied a new urbanistic development with an ensanche plan covering all along the coast from Sant Adrià to Montgat. In 1897, the city received the title of city from the queen regent Maria Christina of Austria.