4. The foundation of the Roman colony
In the late 1st century BC, Barcino was founded as a colony to take advantage of the territory. Even though its urban area was small compared to other contemporary foundations, it controlled extensive and fertile land. The Via Augusta and the trade routes connected it with the rest of the empire.
The city was established with a premeditated urban layout. It included a well-defined grid of streets and structures designed to meet the basic needs of the new settlers, such as the sewage system, along with urban amenities including the temple, the forum and the city wall which gave physical shape to the Roman identity of the new settlement.