A brief history of Girona.
The first inhabitants in the region were Iberians; Girona is the ancient Gerunda, a city of the Ausetani. Later, the Romans built a citadel there, which was given the name of 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. Thus it was wrested temporarily from the Moors, who were driven out finally in 1015. Guifre the 1st incorporated Girona into the countship of Barcelona in 878.
Alfonso the 1st of Aragon declared Girona to be a city in the 11th century. The ancient countship later became a duchy (1351) when King Pere the 3rd of Arago gave the title of Duke to his first-born son, Joan. In 1414, King Ferran the 1st 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, known as Nahmanides or Ramban was appointed Great Rabbi of Catalonia. The history of the Jewish community of Girona ended in 1492, when the Spanish monarchy expelled all the Jews from Spain.
Today, the Jewish ghetto or Call is one of the best preserved in Europe and is a major attraction for tourists. On the north side of the old city is Montjuic (or hill of the Jews in medieval Catalan), where an important religious cemetery was located.
During its long history Girona has undergone twenty-five sieges and been captured seven times. It was besieged by the French royal armies in 1653, again in 1684, and twice in 1694. In May, 1809, it was beseiged by 35,000 French Napoleonic troops, and held out obstinately under the leadership of Alvarez until disease and famine compelled it to capitulate on the 12th December.
Finally, the French conquered the city in 1809, after 7 months of siege. Girona was center of Ter department during French rule between 1809-1813. The defensive walls were demolished at the end of the 19th century to allow for the expansion of the city. In recent years, the missing parts of the city walls on the eastern side of the city have been reconstructed. Called the Passeig de la Muralla it now forms a free to use tourist route around the old city.
