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Barcelona, Oct. 30, 1760.
Commerce has of late years been here thriving at such a rate, and causing such an exorbitant addition of inhabitants, that the government, unwilling to enlarge Barcelona at the expence of its surrounding fortifications, yet desirous to aslist an encrease of population which might have been checked for want of room, order’d that a new town should be built about a mile distant from this.
What name this new town is to have, seems not yet determined. Some call: it la Ciudad Nueva, some Barcelona la Nueva, and some Barceloneta. I suppose that its limits will depend on the concourse of builders and settlers, who will contract or enlarge the present outline, which encloses an oblong square, half a mile on one side, and three quarters of a mile on the other.
It gives pleasure to see the pretty uniformity of what is already built, as the parts of every house run parallel from end to end of every street. No house has more than two stories, besides the groundfloor; and the streets are wide enough to admit of two and even three vehicles abreast. The outside of every house is cover’d with white plaister, which, as it was laid on very smooth, shines like marble but half polished. Yet the glare proves not offensive, because the inter-columniations are coloured with a pale red, and the window-shutters (all outwardly placed) are painted green.
On condition that they conform to that plan of strict uniformity, and provided they be Catholics, strangers are admitted, indistinctly with the natives, to build there as many houses as they chuse; and, as well as the natives, they have the soil for nothing and for ever, upon which they chufe to build.
To this advantage you may add two more: that of naturalizing themselves by such means, without any other formality, and of having the faith of government pledged that they shall never pay any ground-rent, nor other tax whatever, on account of any building, whether house, storehouse, or of any other kind that they may there erect.
The renowned Marquis de las Minas, who has been some years governor of this principality, gives himself no rest in forwarding the building of this new town: and such have been his efforts, that it contains already three thousand inhabitants, amongst whom there are not a few who are merchants and traders of considerable note.
Besides the pecuniary assistance that the generous marquis has afforded to some in the building of their houses, and the various sums lent without interest to others, in order to enable them to settle there, he has also laid out several thousands of … doubloons (not less than twenty thousand) in erecting a most magnificent church, which is to serve the new town as cathedral. Many parts of that church are of white marble, especially the front, which is not wanting in pillars, statues, and other costly ornaments. A noble fellow that Las Minas, and much more estimable for the lofty spirit which makes him forward that work, than for the generalship which render’d him formidable in Italy during the last war! I cannot help remarking, that the two very generals who chiefly commanded in that war against us and the Germans, happen at this present time to prove the two greatest benefactors of this country, as Las Minas is building a newtown in Catalonia, while Gages is making new roads throughout Navarre.
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