Gironas history – Can you give me a potted history of the town?
Girona’s fascinating history derives from its strategic military importance, standing on a fortress-like hill, high above the confluence of the Onyar and Ter rivers. It was founded by Iberians, the remains of whose walls can still be seen. The Romans named it Gerunda and established it as an important stopping point on the Via Augusta, linking Iberia with Rome. Owing to its strategic importance, it has been fought over in almost every century since its foundation, and, perhaps more than any other place in Catalunya, it retains the distinct flavor of its erstwhile inhabitants. Following the Moorish conquest of Spain, Girona was an Arab town for over three generations, a fact apparent in the maze of narrow streets in the centre, and there was a continuous Jewish presence here for over six hundred years. The intricate former Jewish quarter of houses, shops, and community buildings is now visible again after centuries of neglect.
