▁an ▁important ▁commercial ▁Mediter rane an ▁port . ▁The ▁ 1 3 th - century ▁Council ▁of ▁One ▁H undred ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁Barcelona ' s ▁first ▁public ▁institutions . ▁The ▁city ▁was ▁growing ▁beyond ▁its ▁core ▁– ▁the ▁present - day ▁Goth ic ▁Qu arter . ▁The ▁El ▁R aval ▁neighbourhood ▁was ▁developed ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century ▁when ▁Barcelona ' s ▁population ▁was ▁about ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁the ▁city ▁had ▁f ount ains , ▁and ▁the ▁Goth ic ▁City ▁Hall ▁had ▁sculpt ures ▁in ▁front ▁d ating ▁to ▁about ▁ 1 4 0 0 . ▁At ▁the ▁front ▁was ▁a ▁stone ▁statue ▁of ▁the ▁arch angel ▁Rap ha el ▁with ▁bronze ▁wings . ▁At ▁either ▁side ▁were ▁stat ues ▁of ▁St . ▁Sever us ▁( bishop ▁of ▁Barcelona ) ▁and ▁Saint ▁E ul alia ▁of ▁Barcelona . ▁ ▁Early ▁modern ▁era ▁▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Renaissance , ▁Barcelona ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁kingdom ▁of ▁Spain ▁which ▁emer ged ▁from ▁the ▁union ▁of ▁Cast ile ▁and ▁Arag on . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁economic ▁and ▁cultural ▁decl ine , ▁marked ▁by ▁social ▁conflicts ▁and ▁wars ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁Re apers ' ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Su cc ession ). ▁Barcelona ▁was ▁still ▁w alled , ▁with ▁its ▁only ▁expansion ▁to ▁the ▁coast al ▁district ▁of ▁La ▁Barcel on eta ▁and ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁almost ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁Its ▁architecture ▁featured ▁Renaissance