Barcelona (bəɾsəˈlonə)
Society
Transportation
Barcelona has both a solid internal transportation system and also serves as the travel hub for the rest of the country.Internal transportation
Mass transit systems in Barcelona are operated by four private companies:- Catalan Tram CompanyCompanyia Catalana de Tramvies: this company operates only within the metropolitan area of Barcelona and manages three lines: M Montjuïc, C Ciutat Vella, and E Eixample. All of them meet at Estació Central.
- Tram Society of Gràcia and CortsSocietat del Tramvia de Gràcia i les Corts: the Society operates two perpendicular lines: G Gràcia, which connects Barcelona with the municipality of Gràcia, and O Corts, which begins in the municipality of Les Corts and runs mostly in parallel to the sea across the metropolitan area.
- National Tram CompanyCompanyia Nacional de Tramvies: the National Company operates all around the Principality. Within Barcelona, it operates two lines: D Defensor and I Diagonal.
- Aircapsules of BarcelonaAerocàpsules de Barcelona: usually referred to as A "Aeri", these floating arcane capsules connect the port of Barcelona with the international aerodrome.
External connections
Barcelona is a transport hub for all means of transport—land, sea, and air:- Mediterranean Iron Roads CompanyCompanyia Mediterrània dels Camins de ferro: this is an international company that operates long-distance lines using standard railway gauge in the Mediterranean Crown. It connects Barcelona Station with other countries in the Crown, and within Catalonia, its lines mostly follow the coast.
- Railways of the PrincipalityFerrocarils del Principat: the government of the Principality created this service to connect all major cities within Catalonia. In order to allow for a faster and cheaper development, it uses the narrower metric gauge, which earned it the nickname "Carrilet" ("little rail"). There are two stations in Barcelona: Magòria and Estació del Nord.
- Aerodrome: the aerodrome of Barcelona is mostly used for international zeppelin connections, mainly for passenger transport. Most zeppelins have arcanurgical systems that make them the fastest long-distance transportation system.
- Port of Barcelona: this is one of the largest ports of the entire Mediterranean, and has direct international connections both within and outside the Mediterranean. Due to its importance, the Consulate of the Sea, responsible for international maritime law, is headquartered here.
The Underground
Below the bustling streets of the city, the Underground CityCiutat Subterrània lays shrouded in shadows, both literally and metaphorically. Barcelona is home to various organized crime groups, which have thrived thanks to their policy to avoid violent crime on the surface. These crime families use the Underground City as safe houses and communication networks, far from the eyes of the authorities. Not much is known of the Underground—once you go down there, they make sure to discourage anyone from talking too much.Governance
Districs
Barcelona is, in reality, a much smaller city than most people think. The metropolitan area of Barcelona is actually comprised of multiple independent municipalities without any obvious physical separation. The city is surrounded by the following municipalities:- Les Corts
- Gràcia
- Horta
- Sant Andreu de Palomar
- Sant Gervasi de Cassoles
- Sant Martí de Provençals
- Santa Maria de Sants (Sants for short)
- Sarrià
The Council of a Hundred
The legislative body of the city is the Council of a HundredConsell de Cent, a semi-democratic institution created in the 13th century by King James IJaume I. The Council is made up of a hundred jurorsjurats, divided into two groups:- 30 honorable jurorsjurats honorables: members of the local nobility and representatives of the Church, appointed by the Count of BarcelonaComte de Barcelona (usually through the Royal LieutenantLloctinent Reial).
- 70 elected jurorsjurats electes: citizens of the city who are not nobles nor part of the Church, elected every five years.
The Councillors
The Council is led by eight councillorsconsellers, one of which is called Head Councillorconseller en cap and the rest take on ordinal qualifiers (Second Councillorconseller segon, Third Councillorconseller tercer, etc.) The councillors moderate the meetings of the Council, propose new laws, and ensure that the laws approved by the Council are carried out. They have shared control over the Mossos d'Esquadra stationed in the city and advises the government on military matters if the city is attacked. Additionally, the Head Councillorconseller en cap is also a military rank that lets them share control of the military stationed in the city with the Crown. This is a special right granted to the city due to historical reasons.Relationship with the government
Historically, the power of the Council of a Hundred extended well beyond the city and in some aspects operated like a full state within the Principality. Its power has been reduced greatly in the past century, but the city still holds some privileges other cities don't, such as command of the police force and international borders (both shared with the government). Additionally, the city, but not the government, has partial control over the military within city borders.History
The origins of Barcelona can be traced back to the Neolithic, but the year 1228 is considered by many to be the beginning of the city as it is today. The Usages of BarcelonaUsatges de Barcelona, the fundamental laws of the city that replaced the old Roman codes, were published that year (and later extended to the rest of Catalonia). Thanks to its strategic location, it quickly became one of the commercial and industrial powerhouses of the continent, spearheading major developments in Europe such as international maritime law (with the Consulate of the SeaConsulat de Mar in 1260) and the first university of arcanurgy in 1263. Barcelona was the de facto executive government of the entire Principality until 1365, when the Delegation of the GeneralDiputació del General was established as a tax-collecting agency and, eventually, the executive council of the Principality. At first, this caused tension among the Council as they saw their power decrease, but they eventually settled in a relationship of mutual apprehensive respect.The Seizing of the General
During the War of Spanish Succession (1700-1714), the government of the Principality was in chaos. The Delegation of the GeneralDiputació del General had chosen to side with France against the wishes of the Courts, which had become virtually powerless. Amidst the chaos, many territories of the former Crown of Aragon looked back to Barcelona for guidance. So in 1704, in an event known as the Seizing of the GeneralPresa del General, the The Council of a HundredEl Consell de Cent summoned the Sometent and staged a coup to take over the Delegation of the GeneralDiputació del General. Initially, the Council offered to the Courts the opportunity to take back their lost power. However, the Courts were still in chaos, so using an authority they gave themselves, they dissolved them and declared Rafael Casanova, the Head Councillorconseller en cap at the time, as the new Count of Barcelona and King of Aragon. The countries of the old Crown of Aragon united under this new ensign and managed to present a fierce resistance to the French invasion. After the Treaty of AranTractat d'Aran in September 11st, 1714, King Rafael I summoned the General Courts in Barcelona with representatives of all of countries that Spain had kept. The Courts confirmed his appointment as monarch and the remaining territories of the Kingdom of Spain became the Mediterranean Crown. After these Courts were celebrated, the The Council of a HundredEl Consell de Cent finally relinquished its control over the entire Principality and went back to being simply the city council.This setting will apply to all articles with a translation. You need to be logged in to see it.
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Head and HearthCap i Casal
I love that the bat is historically accurate. Really interesting article. I enjoyed the notes on really history too.
Explore Etrea
Thanks for reading! And I'm glad you enjoyed the historical notes. I might start doing this more often—it's also useful for my future reference to know what's real and what isn't.