On the way back from Figueres to Blanes, we stopped in Girona, because to be close and not to visit Girona would be wrong. After all, Girona is the capital of one of the four provinces of Catalonia. The province is also called Girona. Entering the city, we were somewhat disappointed with what he saw. We have become accustomed to the streets of Spanish cities - inimitable, cozy, sometimes narrow, sometimes wide, sometimes sunk in green, sometimes hot sun, always clean. And then suddenly at the entrance to Girona, a dull landscape of ordinary buildings. But, following the signs to the center of the city, literally in a few minutes everything changed for the better. We crossed the bridge and were close to a cozy shady parking lot, and, as intelligence found out, and free! And it is two steps from the historic center of Girona! That’s parking! From the word park. Did not see the parking more comfortable!
Leaving the car, you can now look around.
We stand on the rotunda (Spanish - redonda). Behind us is the historical center of Girona with the Cathedral. The red car on the left behind us crosses the bridge (Pont de Pedra) across the Onyar River. We passed this bridge a few minutes ago, entered the rotunda and immediately turned to the right for parking (the entrance to parking can be seen right above the garbage can on the left).
This is a view from the Pont de Pedra bridge. A little further you can see how the railway bridge also hung over the river Onyar, and even further (visible under the railway bridge) - a pedestrian bridge leading to the historical center of Girona. We are going to the center. At first glance, the water in the Onyar River may seem dirty due to the green color, full of algae, but the fish in the Onyar River are rather big. And the water does not seem to them dirty.
Here we are on a pedestrian bridge. Ducks swim in the river. Quiet. Right behind us is the Cathedral, and to the right are the multi-colored facades of the houses of the famous Jewish quarter of El Cal, a kind of Girona business card.
The history of the quarter is approximately as follows. A certain graph in the distant 880 year bought land (not in Girona), on which the Jews lived. He needed the lands, but not the Jews. And he agreed with the Bishop of Girona on the resettlement of these Jews to Girona is unknown under what conditions. Jews managed to settle in the very center of Girona, and even close to the Cathedral! But the place was small, so the settlement was compact and cramped. The streets are narrow - no longer happens, houses are high, they grow together, there are arches over the streets. From other ancient buildings of Girona El Cal is very different. In general, the Jewish Quarter - a city in a city - was isolated from the rest of Girona as well as those who lived in it. But in 1492 Jews everywhere were expelled from all of Spain, and the Jewish quarter of Girona was emptying, but not for long. Poor Christian families who entered the vacant housing, left the Jewish quarter of Girona unchanged. This is what the Jewish quarter of Girona was a few centuries ago; That is how it remains now, only the families living here are far from poor.
We are heading towards the Cathedral.
We go along the shady medieval streets, past the fortress walls.
The history of Girona dates back to the Romans, who built the Gerunda fortress here. The fortress guarded the road from Rome. Everyone who wanted to conquer Catalonia, should have taken possession of this fortress. Not everyone has succeeded. Even Napoleon besieged Girona for seven months in 1809, before Girona surrendered. Since then, Girona is called the city of “thousands of sieges.”
And now, finally, we are on the famous staircase of the Cathedral of Girona. The staircase was built in the 17th century. One of the utilitarian goals of construction was, as we learned, this: there are more people on the stairs in front of the cathedral than just on the square. Thesis is doubtful. But the fact that the staircase was the most ambitious in the 17th century - there is no doubt about it. She still makes an impression. We rise to the Cathedral of Girona.
Having overcome all 90 steps of the historical staircase, we take a breath. The doors to the Cathedral for some reason closed. But is open the cathedral museum . Paid entrance. While we are thinking about whether we should go to the museum, pay attention to the building below, directly opposite the historical staircase.
Above the entrance (in the form of an arch) in this inconspicuous building hang two Spanish flags. And in front of the building is one police car. This is the municipality of Girona. Girona is the capital of the province of the same name with a population of just under one hundred thousand inhabitants. The municipality is almost invisible, and the city of Girona is flourishing. In our Novouralsk (in Russia), a closed city of regional subordination with a nuclear industry enterprise on its territory, bringing billions of dollars in income annually, with the same size as in Girona, the local government building is slightly smaller than the Cathedral of Girona and rises above the whole city as the Cathedral of Girona. And not one building. And there are a hundred cars parked in front of the Novouralsk administration building, no less! So all over Russia!
We go to the museum of the Cathedral of Girona. A little of our euros Girona does not hurt. This is the patio of the Cathedral. If the staircase to the Cathedral is the 17th century, then this inner courtyard is the 12th century! And how well preserved everything is! The slabs are the family plates of noble people of Girona.
In fact, photography is prohibited in the museum, so we will not publish photos of the museum’s exhibits. Come see for yourself and see what is there. This includes all sorts of old books, and church utensils, and the robes of bishops, and paintings, but most of all strikes the throne of Charlemagne. But the pearl of the museum - the tapestry of the Universe - was not particularly impressed.
Leaving the museum, we walked around the Cathedral and behind it we found some wonderful cozy green courtyards among the fortress walls. Here we settled down to rest and gain strength before returning to Blanes. To our left, a small ladder leads to a stone wall. There is still one courtyard, there is a shadow and not so hot, but the bench in this courtyard was occupied: quite a decent uncle slept on it. We did not bother him.
We sit in the sun, we look at the Cathedral from the back side, we observe how workers repair the roof on one of the roofs of the cathedral building. For our few euros spent on museum tickets, something will soon be repaired too.