Girona is the capital of the province of the same name, which is part of the autonomy of Catalonia, which in turn is part of Spain. Girona is called one of the most interesting cities in this country. Founded in the 5th century BC. NS. Iberians, it was ruled by the Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, Franks. It, located in a strategically important place - right on the August road, which runs along the coast, was constantly trying to take by storm. For this, Girona began to be called poetically "the city of hundreds of sieges."
It is very easy to answer the question of what to see in Girona. Many sights have been preserved here since the past centuries, most of which are concentrated in the historical center of the city. It is located on the right bank of the Onyar River, which serves as a natural border between the Old and New Towns.
TOP 10 attractions in Girona
City wall
City wall
One of the most famous attractions in Girona is the walk along the ramparts, which were built during the time of the ancient Romans, and then were complemented by towers and bastions in the following centuries. Fragments of the walls of the Carolingian era (IX century) and the walls of the XIV-XV centuries have survived to this day. Roman defensive structures, erected more than 2 thousand years ago, have not survived. Those stones were used as the basis for the construction of subsequent defenses. For example, the tower of Gironella, built in the 9th century, has a Roman foundation.
The walls can be climbed in four places. The most interesting site is located along the so-called Passech-Archeolozhik, that is, the route "Archaeological walk". Here are the Julia Tower and the San Cristofol Gate.
Cathedral of the Virgin Mary
Cathedral of the Virgin Mary
The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary is the most famous building in Girona. It is located on a hill, therefore it dominates the entire city. The temple is 22.98 meters wide and is the second largest single-nave Gothic cathedral in the world. Its construction began in the 11th century in a Romanesque manner. In the XIII century, the church was still not completed, however, at that time the Gothic style came into fashion, so the builders continued to work on the temple in accordance with the trends of the times. Only the cloister and the tower were erected in a purely Romanesque style. The construction of the cathedral was completed in the 18th century, but work on decorating the facade of the temple continued into the 20th century.
The sights of the cathedral include:
- gothic main altar of the 14th century, decorated with gilding. It is located in the presbytery. Three masters worked on it: Bartomeu, Ramon Andreu and Pedro Bernes;
- bright stained glass windows. The oldest stained glass window was made by Guillem de Letumgard in the second half of the 14th century;
- sarcophagi of bishops, royalty, aristocrats, artists, architects and other prominent personalities.
Art Museum of Girona
Art Museum of Girona
Founded in 1976, the museum is located in the former Episcopal Palace of Girona, next to the Cathedral. This building was built in the X century, but since then it has been rebuilt and expanded more than once. So, in the 14th century, a spacious Throne Hall and annexes for keeping prisoners appeared here. After 3 centuries, the palace received a new wing.
The Art Museum contains collections of sacred and decorative art from the Romanesque period to the present. Of particular interest are the works of Catalan artists Ramón Martí y Alsina or Joaquim Vireda, who lived in the 19th century.
Most of the museum's collection dates back to the Middle Ages. The most valuable exhibits include the altar of the old Benedictine monastery of San Pedro de Roda, samples of ancient embroidery that are more than five centuries old, and a selection of statues in the Gothic style.
Monastery of San Domenic
Monastery of San Domenic
The Monastery of Saint Dominic, founded in 1253 by Bishop Berenguer de Castelbisbal and consecrated in 1339, is a monumental complex consisting of two buildings: the monastery itself and the Gothic Church of the Annunciation, built in the Catalan Gothic style. The buildings of the monastery, declared a cultural property, are located in the eastern part of the old walled city.
Today, the convent building of San Domenic houses the auditoriums of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Girona. The one-nave church with several Baroque chapels, added in the 17th-18th centuries, was transformed into a concert hall, where various ceremonial events of the same faculty are held.
Arab Baths
Arab Baths
Girona Arab Baths is a Romanesque building built by Christians in 1194. The structure of this building exactly repeated the design of Muslim terms. The original building was partially destroyed during one of the sieges of the city in 1285. Less than 10 years later, King Jaime II of Aragon handed over the Arab Baths to Ramon de Tolra on the condition that he restore them.
The Arab baths were used for their intended purpose until the 15th century. Then they belonged to private individuals for some time and only in 1617 were transferred to the convent. The nuns turned the bathhouse into a pantry, kitchen and laundry. Interestingly, until the 19th century, this building was not called the Arab Baths. In 1929, the baths were restored and reopened to the public. Now in this building there is an exhibition center, where you should go during your vacation in Girona.
St. Felix Church
Church of Sant Feliu
The church of Sant Feliu with an unusual tower with a truncated spire was built by the first Christians - the inhabitants of Girona. For a long time, before the appearance of the Cathedral, this church was the main temple of the city. They say that it was erected on the site of the tower where Saint Felix was tortured. It also houses the Gothic tomb of Saint Narcissus, who was the bishop of Girona. In addition, the temple still houses 8 unusual Roman and Paleochristian sarcophagi of the 3rd and 4th centuries, found during its construction.
During the reign of Muslims, the church of San Feliu was turned into a mosque, but then it again began to be used for Catholic services. The foundation of the temple and the decoration of the main facade have survived from the Romanesque building. The current Gothic bell tower was built on the site of an old Romanesque tower in the XIV-XVI centuries to the left of the main, Baroque portal of the southern façade.
Monastery of Sant Pere de Galigans and Archaeological Museum
Monastery of Sant Pere de Galigans
Behind the Arab Baths is the bed of the almost dry Galigas River. Behind it is the ancient Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere de Galigans. Its construction outside the walls of Girona began in 992, when the abbot of the monastery acquired a large plot of land from the ruler Ramon Borrell I. The monastic lands were returned to the city treasury only in 1339.
The Abbey of Sant Pere de Galigans was small: the abbot and 12 monks lived here. It closed in 1835. After a while, all of its buildings were given to the local Archaeological Museum, which is popular with tourists. The old church of the abbey, where old tombstones, including Jewish ones, and the monastic building, where the main collection of the museum are kept, are available for inspection. Here are collected artifacts that tell about the history of the city from ancient times. The collections of ceramics and bronze and iron tools of labor are interesting.
Jewish quarter
Jewish quarter
Among the intertwining medieval streets of Girona, you can find the Jewish quarter, where a small community of Jews lived until the end of the 15th century. Jews appeared in Girona in the second half of the 9th century. The 888 document states that 25 Jewish families live in the city.
The Jewish quarter of Girona is well preserved. Historians believe that this is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful medieval areas in Europe. In this quarter, you can visit the Moshe bin Nachman Center. There was probably a synagogue here. It has now been turned into a training center and a Museum of Jewish History. To the north of the city, outside the walls, there was a medieval Jewish cemetery. The museum displays some of the tombstones with Jewish symbols, for example, the stone from the grave of the woman Estelina, transferred from there. It also contains documents, books and objects that tell about the life of Jews in Girona.
Houses over the river Onyar
Houses over the river Onyar
In the old part of Girona, the banks of the Onyar River are lined with houses that seem to hang over the water. Old four- and five-story buildings with cornices, flowerpots and peeling plaster contribute to one of the most memorable images of the city. All facades facing the river are painted in the colors recommended by the architects J. Fuses and H. Viader. The shades of the walls should remind guests of Girona that they are in a Mediterranean town. The best way to admire the “Venice of Girona” is from one of the bridges connecting the two banks of the Onyar River.
The most famous house of this quarter is Casa Maso - the house-museum of the famous local architect Rafael Maso y Valenti.
Chapel of San Nicolau
Chapel of San Nicolau
The Romanesque chapel of São Nicolau was built next to the church of the Monastery of São Pere de Galigans. This temple was first mentioned in 1134. Previously, there was a medieval cemetery here, so the chapel of St. Nicholas could have been a funeral. Some researchers believe that it was rebuilt from a monumental tomb.
The chapel is an octagonal building, to which four semicircular apses have been added. This structure is crowned with a dome. In the 13th century, the western apse was converted into a nave.
In the 18th century, this chapel belonged to the leatherworkers' guild: this is evidenced by the sign left on the door. In 1840 the chapel building was sold. At first, it housed a logging factory, and then a warehouse. Now the nave of this former temple is used for various exhibitions.
