His meteoric rise in the Middle Ages, Barcelona must, above all, his udobnomugeograficheskomu position. The city is located by the sea and the bay of Barcelona yavlyaetsyasamoy large and comfortable in the western region Mediterranean Sea. Military domination of Barcelona vSredizemnom sea began to hike the First Jaume the Conqueror, who zavoevalostrova Mallorca and Ibiza, and in 1283 a fleet of Catalans in the naval battle of Malta has protected completely defeated the French squadron. Around the same vremyav Barcelona was designed by the Sea Codex ", which was adopted not only in Catalonia and in other countries of the Mediterranean Sea. Differed Catalan sailors ina service of foreign sovereigns.
For example, the Catalan Admiral Roger de Florsostoyal the service of the King of Sicily in the years when trying to Sicily sebevernut French. Roger gained in their teams mainly katalonskihmoryakov that terrified the French and those who were called "almogavarami. It is rich katalonskiebankiry gave cash loans for the expedition of Columbus, and it is in gavanBarselony returned this great explorer. However, it is Opening a negative impact on the subsequent development of the city. Spanish exclusive right to trade with the New World port nAtlantike Cadiz and Valencia in the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, Barcelona postepennopopala in the shadow of other Spanish cities.
