Girona History

The city had its first period of glory as a diocese of the church together with the metropolitan seat of Tarragona, followed by ruralization that was unleashed throughout the former Roman Empire because of the general ruin and loss of weight of the citizens.

The Muslim conquest immediately affected Girona by imposing a new Muslim power and territorial personal tribute but was short lived because of its proximity to the Carolingian Empire. The Catalan historian Ramon Abadal i Vinyals saw it as the beginning of a process that led to the birth of Catalonia, which shows the importance that Girona had over time.

The newly fortified walls strengthened and expanded the area of the city. At this time there was splendor in the Jewish community of Girona with a cabalistic school. Today the Jewish Quarter of Girona is one of the best preserved in Europe and is one of the attractions of Girona.

During the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, the city continued to grow and was making small improvements and extensions of the walls to protect the city from the various attacks on those who had to face (up to the end of the 17th century and early 18th century) part of the French troops in the context of the numerous wars in Europe.

In the early 19th century, Girona suffered devastation due to the battles and sieges that occurred during the Spanish War of Independence.

By 1889 the largest Spanish army abolished the category of Girona’s stronghold that held and allowed the demolition of part of the walls south of the city, and Girona began to look like how it is today. On February 4, 1939, Franco’s troops occupied the city. In 1960 Girona was appointed the first City of the Sardana in a message from Mainar Josep Pons.

The city’s history dates back to the settlements of the tribe of Iberians from Indigetes in surrounding villages and close the Llano de Girona. By 77 BC Pompey built an oppidum on the Via Heraclea, and the Romans founded the original occupants of Girona, known in Latin as Gerunda.

The new city was repopulated with Gerunda, and the inhabitants of the town of San Julian de Ramis became an important center for the region, with the articulation of a Roman ager that surrounded the city. Despite Gerunda being on the inside, away from the coast, it had a good connection with the port of Ampurias.