Gérone

Gérone (officially and in Catalan Girona ; Castilian Gerona in , Gironne as old French) is a city located in the North-East of the Spain in Catalogne. It is the capital of the Province of Gérone as well as Comarque of the Gironès, and counted approximately 90 000 inhabitants in 2005.

Geography and climate

The town of Gérone is located at the confluence of the rivers Onyar, Güell, Galligants and Ter, at an altitude of 70 m, in what is called el pla of Girona (“the plan of Gérone”).

The municipal territory of Gérone is bordering in north with the communes on Sant Julià de Ramis and Sarrià de Ter; in the east with those of Celrà and Juià; in south-east with that of Quarter; in south-west with those of Fornells of Selva and Vilablareix; and finally in the west with those of Salt and Sant Gregori.

The climate is continental moderate.

History

Foundation of Gerunda

The first recognized inhabitants of the area were the Ibères of the tribe of Indigetes established in cores of settlement around the plain of Gérone, particularly at the place where draws up now the village of Sant Julià de Ramis. During the war opposing Sertorius to Pompée (82-72 av. J. - C.), this last made build a Oppidum on the Way Heraclea (future Way Augusta) to defend it against the troops raised by Sertorius. It is thus to answer strategic needs which Gérone baptized then Gerunda was founded. The etymology of this toponym is not clear, but could perhaps mean between Undarios name which indicated in language ibère the Onyar river.

The borough lately built was occupied by the inhabitants of Sant Julià de Ramis who apparently were obliged to join the oppidum. The strategic position of the city on the artery consisted Via Augusta transformed it into a regional pole. The Finage of Gérone was then composed of a urbe the urbanized part surrounded by a ager the cultivated zone, traditional provision of the Roman territorial organization. Although Gerunda was wedged inside the grounds, it had a solid bond with maritime space, being connected to the port of Emporiæ first Roman colony of the peninsular North-East, occupied during the Second Punic War and close to the later on founded Greek city.

The Middle Ages

The Visigoths directed the area since the fall of the Roman Empire until the arrival of the Moors. In 785, Charlemagne seized the city.

It was besieged by Philippe III Bold the, king de France, of the June 26th to the September 7th 1285.

Modern time

With XVIIe and XVIIIe centuries, the French besieged several Gérone times, of which in 1653 and 1694.

Napoleon took the city in 1809 after a 7 month old seat. Gérone was the Préfecture Département of For the third time the of 1812 with 1814, when Napoleon i incorporated the Catalogne in the French Empire. The ramparts of the city were partly cut down at the XIXe century to allow its expansion.

Culture and inheritance

Gérone enjoys a cultural and patrimonial richness important, of which it can draw part. Indeed tourism plays a great part in the economy of the city, which counts approximately 300 000 visitors per annum.

Architectural heritage

The Barri Vell

The Barri Vell (old working) corresponds to the old city of Gérone, the part was delimited by the medieval walls and the bastions of the modern time. It is Gérone of before 1895, before the demolition of the ramparts of the Pla de Girona . In his center one finds his principal monuments, as well as original constructions of the city.

This district was the object of a deep restoration as from 1982 on behalf of the municipality, for its tourist valorization. Hardly two decades later, the Barri Vell became the major tourist attraction of Gérone, with the major part of its restored constructions, especially in the Jewish ghetto, the Call Jueu .

The cathedral of Santa Maria

Built enters to the X {{E}} and XIII {{E}} centuries, it comprises elements of architectures Romance, Gothic and baroque at the same time. It has the Gothic nave largest of the world (22,98 m); this nave is also larger second of the world, all styles confused, after the Basilique Saint-Pierre of Rome. It shelters two museums where one can admire celebrates it Tapis of Creation.

The church Sant Feliu

Church built with the XII {{E}} century on the tomb of Felix Saint African.

Beside the building celebrates it Lleona (lioness) is, one of the symbols of the city. It is about a medieval statue representing a lioness climbed on a column. The legend wants that good therefore gironais travels from there, or any traveller of passage returning at his place, must himself of kissing its behind so that the chance smiles to him. The current statue is in fact a copy; the original is preserved at the Museu d' Art .

The monastery of Sant Father of Galligants, Museum of Archeology of Catalonia

Old the abaye bénédictine of Sant Pere (Saint Pierre) of Galligants is one of most successful constructions having survived of the Romance past of Gérone. Started into 992, the current nave goes back to 1130, just as the octagonal bell-tower of style Lombard. It also has a cloister of Romance style also, dating among 1154 and 1190. It currently collects the gironaise part Museum of Archeology of Catalonia.

The Jewish district

The Call Jueu is a tangle of medieval streets of the Barri Vell . It is there that (before the decree of expulsion of the Jews of Spain of 1492) the Jewish community of the city lived. It is about the one of the medieval districts best preserved Europe, and larger of the Iberian peninsula. One finds there in particular the old synagog, transformed today into dependence of the university of Gérone. In the north of the Call Montjuïc (" draws up; the mount juif").

Arab baths

Wrongly called Arabic, they in fact was never built by the Moslems. Inspired by the Roman thermal baths and public baths, they are decorated with elements of Eastern inspiration, like the cupola letting pass the celestial light. The building external, of Romance style, was built in 1194, with a structure imitating the distribution of the Moslem baths, according to the fashion of the time. Under reorganization at the end of 1200, the baths will be definitively closed in XVe century. In 1671, it is given to provision of the couvin capuchin, which used it as room, for the kitchen or the detergent. The place will reopen with the public in 1929.

Walls

The walls surrounding the Barri Vell were the subject of a restoration even of a partial rebuilding, making possible a panoramic walk since its heights.

Houses and bridges of Onyar

Farinera Teixidor and Put it of Punxa

The park of Devesa

Rambla of Llibertat

Placed of Independència

Lastly, the mainly preserved walls, the escarpées streets and the famous houses with frontages coloured on Onyar belong to the tourist assets of this city.

Cultural heritage

This section is under development .

Economy

Gérone has been, for several years, the town of Spain where the income per capita is most. She is also considered, according to several investigations published in the magazines of general information, like the city where it makes more the good things in life in Spain.

Twinnings

Through the programme of foreign relations of the municipality of Gérone, the city was twinned with several cities of the world. Advanced negotiations are in hand with Nueva Gerona (Cuba) and Nashville, TN (the United States of America).

See too

Airport of Gérone

External bonds

Girona on portalmundos.com
interactive Guide - Plan of Girona
Guide of province of Girona, hotels, routes, restaurants, rural houses and more than Gerona

Sources

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