Badalona

**Badalona** () is a ceety in eastren Catalonie, Spain. It is locatit in the comarca o the Barcelonès, near the ceety o Barcelona an pairt o its metropolitan aurie. It is situated on the left bank o the sma Besòs River an on the Mediterranean Sea, backed bi the Serra de la Marina muntain range. Badalona is the third maist-populatit municipality in Catalonie efter Barcelona an L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.

## History
Badalona wis foondit bi the Romans in the 3rd century BC, wi the name o *Baetulo*, awtho human settlements in the aurie existit frae 3500-2500 BC. The Iberians haed fortifeed veelages on the Melasas an Boscà hills syne the 7t century BC. The Roman toun's plan wis based on thair common scheme o the *[[cardo]]* an *[[decumanus]]*, occupyin some 11&nbsp;ha, wi a line o waws measurin 413x261&nbsp;m an haein lairge defensive touers. In the 1st century BC it haed some 15,000 indwallers.

The current Badalona wis formed in the 10t century, as a new urban nucleus biggit ower an aroond the auld Roman ceety.  It comprised a group o hooses biggit aroond the square an the kirk.  At the same time, a rural nucleus grew up ootside the toun waws. This rural an urban dichotomy wad remain till the mid-18t century.

Sant Jeroni de la Murtra Monastery, biggit in the 14t century, hoosed the Catholic Monarchs o Spain wad spend thair simmers.  This is forby whaur thay received Christopher Columbus efter his first voyage tae the Americas.

Badalona wis ane o the maist important touns durin the Spaingie industrialization process, frae the 19t century onwards.

## Main sichts
* Monastery o Sant Jeroni de la Murtra (13t century)
* Roman Ceety
* Roman Baths
* The Venus o Badalona is a sma Roman sculptur in white marble that seembolised the walth o the ceety in Roman times.
* La Rambla
* Carrer del Mar
* Pont del Petroli
* Giants Anastasi i Maria.
* Pavillard hoose, biggit bi Joan Amigó i Barriga in 1906,  considered the best modrenist wirk in the ceety. 
* Zorrilla Theatre (19t century), reopened in 1999
* Anís del Mono, a distillery in Modrenist style
* Casa de la Vila (Townhall) 
* Santa Maria's Kirk, in Neoclassicist style
* Can Canyadó farmhouse (15t century)
* Godmar Castle (11t century) 
* Maignon Mercat
* Torner Mercat 
* Palau Municipal d'Esports de Badalona (Olympic Pavilion)
* Màgic Badalona
* Beaches
* Simmer nichtlife

## Transportation

Badalona haes a RENFE (train) station R1 frae Barcelona tae Mataró - Blanes, as well as a sma harbour.  It links tae Barcelona via the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport (TMB) metro (underground) an bus seestem.

## Economy
The harbor is chiefly important for its fishin an boat-biggin trades, while in toun thare are gas, chemical an mineral-ile wirks, as well as the manufactur o ooen an cotton guids, gless, biscuits, succar an brandy.  The surroondin fertile plains produce an abundance o grain, wine an fruit.

The ceety is hame tae the historic distillery which produces Anís del Mono, a spirit made o yerbs an anise, the maist famous anisette in Spain.

## Cultur
In Mey, in occasion o the celebration o Saunt Anastasi, the patron saunt o Badalona, activities an festivals are organized aw aroond the ceety. The maist important celebration takes place the day afore Saunt Anastasi Day when, at nicht, fowk gather at the maritime promenade tae pairticipate in the popular Cremada del Dimoni (Devil-Burning)--seemilar tae the famous Valencie Falles.

## Sport
The ceety's maist important sport complex is the Palau Municipal d'Esports de Badalona (Municipal Sports Palace), which wan the Mies Van der Rohe awaird in 1992. The Palace wis the settin for basketbaw competeetion durin the Olympic Gemmes in 1992. Nouadays, it is hame o the  basketbaw team frae Badalona, Joventut de Badalona, kent forby as la Penya. This place will forby be the centre o the Badalona Capital Europea del Bàsquet, which is intendit tae be a theme pairk celebratin basketbaa - wi a basketbaa museum, shoppin center, cinemas, basketbaa courts, a harbour, indoor kartin an mair activities.

## Twin touns
* Alcanar, Spain
* San Fernando, Spain
* Parla, Spain
* Valparaíso, Chile
* Gothenburg, Swaden
* Sitges, Spain

## See an aw
*Joventut Badalona (basketbaw team) in Liga ACB
*Palau Municipal d'Esports de Badalona (Olympic basketbaw seat '92)
*CF Badalona (Spainyie League - 2nt diveesion)
*Artigues, Badalona

## References

* Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). *Guia de Catalunya*, Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 (Spaingie). ISBN 84-87135-02-1 (Catalan).

## Freemit airtins

*Offeecial steid