Badalona is one of the oldest towns in Catalonia. It is situated near Barcelona and has 210.000 inhabitants.With a typical mediterranian climate and a beach with five kilometres, Badalona has an excepcionally good situation, between the sea and the mountain.
Aerial view
The greater specific gravity that Badalona has obtained in the metropolitan area and its increasing presence in the economic and cultural world in Catalonia is the result of the transformations introduced in the town urban plans and in the public services.
Badalona is a town with a lot of contrasts, where the interrelations between cultures and races generates a big multiplicity of cultural activities. The current reality in Badalona is the reflection of 2.000 years of history.
Historically, we can find the urban starting point of our town in the foundations of an urban settlement by the Romans, in the year 100 B.C. Since then, that first nucleus was changing to become Badalona as it is nowadays. It was called Baetulo. People born in Badalona have always been proud of its roman origin. The Roman Baths, in the Museum, the House preserved in Lladó street, a piece of water pipe in Pujol street, and the remains of the wall oh the Hort de les Monges, as well as sculptures, wall paintings, mosaics and the Tabula Hospitalis, show us the results of the efforts to protect the past remains. The Venus of Badalona, an small sculpture, carved in white marble, is what really identifies Badalona with the Roman past.
The Roman Baths
Since the tenth century, Badalona has a new urban nucleus where the old Roman city was, formed by a group of houses situated around the square and the church. At the same time, a rural nucleus grew up outside the town walls. This double situation, urban and rural, will stand till the middle of the eighteenth century.
Badalona was one of the most important towns during the industrialization. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, a lot of and very good buildings were erected, among which outstands the Pavillard house. It was built by Joan Amigó i Barriga in 1906, and is considered the best modernist work in town.
The protection of artistic and historical heritage is constant. To this effect, one of the last and more important examples has been the remodellation of Zorrilla Theatre, a nineteenth-century theatre which has been reopened in 1999 under municipal management after being closed for 29 years.
May is the month for festivities in Badalona. Taking as an excuse the celebration of Saint Anastasi, the patron saint of Badalona, activities and festivals are organitzed all around the city. The most important celebration takes place the day before Saint Anastasi day when, at night, people gather at the maritime promenade to participate in the popular Cremada del Dimoni (The devil's burning), similar to the famous Valencia Fallas.
Castellers (human towers) in front of the Town Hall
Although it has become famous the sentence Badalona, Bressol del Basquetbol (Badalona Cradle of Basketball), the citizens practice a lot of diferent and varied sports, which are practised in numerous sports complexes.
Club Joventut Badalona match
The most important of this sports complexes is the Palau Municipal d'Esports, Municipal Sports Palace, than won Mies Van der Rohe award in 1992. This palace was the setting for basketball competition during the Olympic Games in 1992. Nowadays, is the home of the famous basketball team from Badalona, Joventut, also known as la Penya. This place will also be the center of a future project, which is called Badalona Capital Europea del Bàsquet, and is intended to be a kind of themed park around basketball.