Girona (Catalan: Girona, Spanish: Gerona, French: Gérone) is a city located in the northeast of Catalonia, at the confluence of the rivers Ter and Onyar. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the Catalan comarca of the Gironès. The recorded population in 2005 was 86,672.

History

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The first inhabitants in the region were Iberians. Later, the Romans built a citadel there, which was given the name Gerunda. The Visigoths ruled in Girona until it was conquered by the Moors. Finally, Charlemagne reconquered it in 785 and made it one of the fourteen original countships of Catalonia. Guifré I incorporated Girona to the county of Barcelona in 878. Alfonso I of Aragón declared Girona to be a city in the 11th century. The ancient county later became a duchy (1351) when king Pere III d' Aragó gave the title of Duke to his first-born son, Joan. In 1414, King Ferran I in turn gave the title of Prince of Girona to his first-born son, Alfons. The title is currently carried by Prince Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the first Borbón to do so.

The 12th century saw a flourishing of the Jewish community of Girona, with one of the most important Kabbalistic schools in Europe. The Rabbi of Girona, Moshe ben Nahman Gerondi was appointed Great Rabbi of Catalonia. The history of the Jewish community of Girona ended in 1492, when the Catholic Kings expelled all the Jews from Spain. Today, the Jewish ghetto or Call is one of the best preserved in Europe and is a major tourist attraction. On the north side of the old city is the Montjuïc (or hill of the Jews in medieval Catalan), where an important religious cemetery was located.

Girona suffered several sieges by the French during the 17th and 18th centuries. Finally, the armies of Napoleon conquered the city in 1809, after 7 months of siege. The defensive city walls were demolished in the 19th century to allow for the expansion of the city. In recent years, the remaining parts of the eastern city walls were reconstructed and now the Passeig de la Muralla forms a touristic walking route around the old city.

Education

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The city is the home of the Universitat de Girona.

Airport

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Girona-Costa Brava Airport has grown hugely in recent years principally as a result of Ryanair choosing it as one of their European hubs. Whilst the airport has been used since the early 1980s for charter flights, holidaymakers and other travellers now have a wide range of scheduled flights available from a number of destinations across Europe. Girona Airport is well situated for travellers going to the Costa Brava.

Girona Airport is a 1 hour bus ride from Barcelona centre. Most low cost airlines mention "Barcelona" in their descriptions of Girona airport. The bus stops in the center of Barcelona, in Estacio d'Autobusos Barcelona Nord, Barcelona's main bus terminal.

See also

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• Prince of Girona
• Catalonia
• The Girona
• Girona's Cathedral

External links

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• City Council of Girona (Note that it is registered under the ccTLD of Gibraltar)
• History of the coat-of-arms of Girona
• Universitat de Girona
• Time table bus Barcelona - Girona airport (pdf)
• Girona Flickr Pool (fotos)

Cities and towns in Catalonia | Municipalities in Girona | Girona province

Girona | Girona | Gerona | Ĝirono | Girona | Gérone | Girona | Girona | Gerona (stad) | Girona | Girona | Girona | Girona | Girona | Girona