Barcelona, 1802. Manuscritos de la Biblioteca Palatina de Parma y su visión artística de la ciudad

Abstract

In the year 1802, Barcelona became the point of encounter of the Spanish and Neapolitan Royal families, wich arrived to attend the marriage of their children. The choice of the city as the promised exchange point meant a great challenge to the Barcelona autho rities at the time, who were forced to deal with a multitude of issues inj order to render the presence of such illustrious guests comfortable and workable. On of the aspects that tad to be dealt wich was an exemplary urban reform at all leves, from the pavement of the streets to problems raletd wich sanitation or the availability of water. The square then called Plaza de Palacio, wich housed the royal families of Spain (in the Royal Palace) and Naples (in the Palacio de la Aduana Nueva) and the Prime Minister Manuel Godoy (in the Casa Lonja) was one of the more drastically remodeled areas. The result not only made the participants proud but it was olsed reflected in the written impressions provided by foreign visitors and chroniclers of the royal trip.