INTERNATIONAL ESCI
LIVING IN BARCELONA
Discovering Barcelona and Catalonia
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and is the second largest city in Spain. It has a population of 1,600,000. The city's origins can be traced back to the first century before Christ and the Roman colony of Barcino. Its two thousand years of history have left their mark on the city's architectural, artistic and cultural heritage. Its excellent location in terms of international communication, its Mediterranean climate and its cosmopolitan character make it a particularly privileged city.
You can find further information on Barcelona and Catalonia by visiting:
- http://www.bcn.es/ (Barcelona City Council)
- http://www.gencat.es/ (Generalitat de Catalunya, the Catalan Goverment)
Did you know that in Catalonia we also speak Catalan?
Catalan is the language of Catalonia. It is a Romance language derived from Latin and is more than 1,000 years old. The first written texts in Catalan date from the 12th century.
The language has survived difficult periods of history, especially the forty years of Franco's dictatorship, during which its use in public was banned. Nowadays, 93.8% of Catalonia's inhabitants understand the language and 68.3% and 67.6% can speak and write it, respectively.
UPF's statutes recognise Catalan as the University's language and as its normal vehicle for communication. In Catalonia it is an official language, along with Spanish.
