Girona

The capital of the province of the same name saw its heyday in the period after 1134, when the County of Barcelona merged with the Kingdom of Aragon. Girona was besieged more than 30 times, but never successfully, earning itself the name Ciutat dels Setges ("Siege City"). There was a major Jewish community in Girona (El Call) until arson attacks and hate campaigns by the Christian population put an end to their peaceful existence, and they were driven out completely after 1492.
The entwining alleys... of the old town (Barri Vell) spread out on a hill above the confluence of the Riu Onyar and Riu Ter. A monumental Baroque outside staircase leads up to the cathedral which was built over four centuries starting in 1312. Attached to the choir, the 35 m (115 ft) high and 23 m (75 ft) wide Gothic nave is the widest in Europe - a masterpiece of medieval structural engineering and a breathtaking experience. In addition to the trapezium-shaped Roman crypt with its elaborately adorned capitals, the colourful stained glass windows from the 14th to 16th centuries are also worth seeing. The Arabic Baths (Els Banys Àrabs), which were not built until the end of the 13th century based on North African models, may have been erected on the remains of an Arabic bath house and are a perl of profane Roman architecture. more

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