La costruzione della Gran Barcelona: promozione urbana e turistica tra il 1888 e il 1929

The organization of international events endowed by cultural, industrial and even sporting nature, has been early considered by the Catalans as a tool to increase the internal product, as well as an opportunity to carry out deep urban reforms of Barcelona. Among this class of international exhibitions which proved crucial in the development of the so-called “Barcelona Model” are the two World and International Fairs – of 1888 and 1929 respectively – and the candidacies of the city to host unsuccessfully the Olympic Games of 1924, 1936 and successfully those of 1992. Each of these dates was associated to major urban reforms and by the publication of new guides, intentionally conceived to attract the largest number of visitors and tourists. Barcelona has become therefore the “model and the rule” followed by other cities to promote their international image.