\cf4 \ATXht175 Gothic\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht182 Modernism,\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 the two cha
racteristic styles of Barcelona correspond to two lively periods in history that were particularly important for the city.\par
The development of medieval Barcelona was linked to its role as a Mediterranean port and to its mercantile activity, based ori
ginally on the trade in slaves and gold and, later, on the development of the textile industry. The Barrio G≤tico and buildings like the Cathedral or the Ayuntamento de los Ciento testify to the emergence of bourgeois culture in Barcelona over the course
of the Middle Ages.\par
In the second half of the nineteenth century, Barcelona experienced a new golden age and took on the appearance of a modern and industrial city. It was this climate that gave birth to the modernist ideal that found its highest e
xpression in the unique and brilliant creations of Antoni Gaudφ, its principal exponent.\par
