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This article is about the Spanish city. For the ship of the Spanish Armada, see Girona (ship). The Spanish Armada ( Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, "Great and Most Fortunate Navy" or Armada Invencible, "Invincible La Girona was a galleass of the 1588 Spanish Armada which foundered and sank off Lacada Point, County Antrim, Ireland,
Girona
Flag of Gerona Coat of arms of Girona
Flag Coat of Arms
Girona m'enamora
Location
Coordinates : 41°59′04″N, 02°49′16″E
Time zone : CET (GMT +1)
- summer : CEST (GMT +2)
General information
Native name Girona (Catalan)
Spanish name Gerona
Founded 79 BC
Postal code 1700X
Area code +34 (Spain) + 972 (Girona)
Website http://www.ajuntament.gi/
Administration
Country Spain
Autonomous Community Catalonia
Province Girona
Comarca Gironès
Administrative Divisions 9
Neighborhoods 31
Mayor Anna Pagans i Gruartmoner (PSC)
Geography
Land Area 39,1 km²
Altitude 76 m AMSL
Population
Population 86,672 (2005)
Density 2. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official A postal code (known in various countries as a post code, postcode, or ZIP code) is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages The term administration, as used in the context of Government, differs according to Jurisdiction. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. In addition to its autonomous communities, Spain is divided into fifty Provinces. A comarca (meaning Shire or County, Spanish and Portuguese plural comarcas, Catalan plural Gironès is a comarca (county in eastern Catalonia, Spain, bordering Selva, Baix Empordà, Alt Empordà, Pla A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Socialists' Party of Catalonia (Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya PSC is a Political party in Catalonia, Spain. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data The term above mean sea level ( AMSL) refers to the Elevation (on the ground or Altitude (in the Air) of any object relative to the In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different 216,6 hab. /km² (2005)

Girona (Catalan: Girona IPA: [ʒiˈɾonə], Spanish: Gerona IPA: [xeˈɾona], French language: Gérone) is a city located in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the rivers Ter and Onyar. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Ter is a River in Catalonia (northeastern Spain) that begins in the mountains of the Pyrenees, at Ull de Ter (2480 m of altitude The Onyar is a River in Catalonia (north eastern Spain) that begins at the Guilleries ( Pyrenees) and joins the Ter at the city It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the Catalan comarca of the Gironès. Gironès is a comarca (county in eastern Catalonia, Spain, bordering Selva, Baix Empordà, Alt Empordà, Pla The recorded population in 2005 was 86,672. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Contents

History

The first inhabitants in the region were Iberians; Girona is the ancient Gerunda, a city of the Ausetani. The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources (among others Hecataeus of Miletus, Avienus, Herodot and Strabo The Ausetani were an ancient Iberian (Pre- Roman) people of the Iberian peninsula (the Roman Hispania) Later, the Romans built a citadel there, which was given the name of Gerunda. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC A citadel is a fortress for protecting a Town, sometimes incorporating a Castle. The Visigoths ruled in Girona until it was conquered by the Moors. The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent Finally, Charlemagne reconquered it in 785 and made it one of the fourteen original countships of Catalonia. Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his Events By Place Europe Widukind and many other Saxons are baptized A count is a Nobleman in European countries The word count comes from French comte, itself from Latin Thus it was wrested temporarily from the Moors, who were driven out finally in 1015. Guifré I incorporated Girona to the countship of Barcelona in 878. Wilfred or Wifred, called the Hairy, was Count of Urgell (870&ndash897 Cerdanya (870&ndash897 Barcelona (878&ndash897 Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Events By Place Europe May 21 — After a siege of eight months Syracuse is captured by the Muslims of Sicily. Alfonso I of Aragón declared Girona to be a city in the 11th century. Alfonso I (1073/1074 &ndash 8 September 1134) called el Batallador, the Battler or the Warrior, was the king of Aragón The ancient countship later became a duchy (1351) when king Pere III d' Aragó gave the title of Duke to his first-born son, Joan. A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. Peter the Great ( Catalan: Pere el Gran, Spanish: Pedro el Grande; 1239 &ndash 2 November 1285) was the King of Aragon A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom In 1414, King Ferran I in turn gave the title of Prince of Girona to his first-born son, Alfons. Ferdinand I (Ferran - Catalan (Medina del Campo Castile 27 November 1380 &ndash Igualada Catalonia 2 April 1416) called of Antequera Origin The title of Prince of Girona is one of the titles given to the crown prince of the Aragon Crown. Alfonso the Magnanimous (also Alphonso; Catalan: Alfons) (1396 &ndash 27 June 1458) was the King of Aragon (as 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. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Rabbi of Girona, Moshe ben Nahman Gerondi (better known as Nahmanides or the Ramban) was appointed Great Rabbi of Catalonia. Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master Nahmanides (1194 &ndash c 1270 was a Catalan Rabbi, philosopher, Physician, Kabbalist and biblical commentator. Nahmanides (1194 &ndash c 1270 was a Catalan Rabbi, philosopher, Physician, Kabbalist and biblical commentator. The history of the Jewish community of Girona ended in 1492, when the Catholic Kings expelled all the Jews from Spain. The titles Catholic King and Catholic Queen are awarded by the Pope as head of the Roman Catholic Church to monarchs who in the eyes of the papacy embody Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Today, the Jewish ghetto or Call is one of the best preserved in Europe and is a major tourist attraction. A ghetto is described as a "portion of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social legal or economic pressure Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel On the north side of the old city is the Montjuïc (or hill of the Jews in medieval Catalan), where an important religious cemetery was located. Montjuïc (ˌmɔntˈdʒuik alternatively spelled Montjuic or Montjuich) is a hill located in Barcelona,

Girona has undergone twenty-five sieges and been captured seven times. It was besieged by the French royal armies under Marshal Hocquisicourt in 1653, under Marshal Bellefonds in 1684, and twice in 1694 under de Noailles. In May, 1809, it was besieged by 35,000 French Napoleonic troops under Vergier, Augereau and St. Cyr, and held out obstinately under the leadership of Alvarez until disease and famine compelled it to capitulate, 12 December. The Siege of Gerona of May 6 1809, sometimes called the Third Siege of Gerona (after two battles in 1808 involved the French Grande Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Charles Pierre François Augereau 1st Duc de Castiglione ( October 21, 1757 &ndash June 12, 1816) was a French soldier and military Laurent de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr, 1st Marquis de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr ( Toul, May 13, 1764 &ndash Hyères, March 17, 1830 Brigadier Mariano Alvarez de Castro (1749-1810 was a Spanish military officer and the military governor of Gerona during the siege by the French during the War of Spanish Finally, the French conquered the city in 1809, after 7 months of siege. Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The defensive city walls were demolished at the end of the 19th century to allow for the expansion of the city. See also List of cities with defensive walls A defensive wall is a Fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors 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 tourist route around the old city.

Girona landmarks include Saint Mary's Cathedral (left) and the Passeig de la Muralla (right)
Girona landmarks include Saint Mary's Cathedral (left) and the Passeig de la Muralla (right)

Ecclesiastical history

The Diocese of Girona in Catalonia, suffragan of the archbishopric of Tarragona, is bounded on the north by the Pyrenees, on the south and east by the Mediterranean and on the west by the dioceses of Barcelona and Vic. Girona's Cathedral is the Cathedral of Girona in Catalonia, Spain. A suffragan bishop is a Bishop subordinate to a Metropolitan bishop or Diocesan bishop. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Vic is the capital of the comarca of Osona, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The district is mountainous, with forests of pine, oak and chestnut, and numerous mineral springs. The episcopal city of Girona is the chief town of the province of the same name, and it situated at the confluence of the Ter and the Onyar.

It is said that the apostles Paul and James, on their arrival in the Iberian Peninsula, first preached Christianity there, and tradition also has it that St. Maximus, a disciple of St. James, was the first bishop of the district. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra Saint Maximus the Confessor (also known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus de Constantinople) (c For people and places called Saint James, see the Saint James disambiguation page It is generally held that the see was erected in 247. On 18 June, 517, a synod convened here was attended by the Archbishop of Tarragona and six bishops; canons were promulgated dealing with the recitation of the Divine Office, infant baptism and the celibacy of the clergy. Infant baptism is the Christian religious practice of baptizing infants or young children Celibacy refers to the lack of participation in Sexual intercourse.

About 885 Bishop Ingobert of Urgell was expelled from his see by the intruder Selva, who, under the protection of the Count of Urgell, was consecrated in Gascony. Urgell (Spanish Urgel) is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of Pallars and Cerdanya. Gascony (Gascogne gaskɔɲ Gascon Occitan: Gasconha, pronounced) is an area of southwest France that constituted a province of France This usurper also unlawfully placed Hermemiro over the see of Girona. In 892 a synod was held in the Church of Santa Maria in Urgell; the two usurpers were deposed, their vestments rent, their crosiers broken over their heads, and they were deprived of their sacerdotal faculties. A crosier ( crozier, pastoral staff, paterissa, pósokh) is the stylized staff of office ( Pastoral staff) carried by high-ranking

A council held in Lleida in 1246 absolved James I of Aragon from the sacrilege of cutting out the tongue of the Bishop of Girona. Lleida (Standard Central Catalan ˈʎejðə or North-Western Catalan; Spanish Lérida, though officially referred as Lleida James I the Conqueror ( Catalan: Jaume el Conqueridor, Aragonese: Chaime lo Conqueridor, Spanish: Jaime el Conquistador Another synod at Girona in 1078 affirmed the nullity of simoniacal ordinations. Simony is the Ecclesiastical crime of paying for Holy offices or positions in the hierarchy of a church named after Simon Magus, who appears in the

Honoured with papal prerogatives relating to the pilgrim routes to Compostella, the Church of Le Puy assumed a sort of informal primacy in respect to most of the Churches of France, and even of Christendom, manifesting itself practically in a 'right to beg', established with the authorization of the Holy See, in virtue of which the chapter of Le Puy levied a veritable tax upon almost all the Christian countries to support its hospital of Notre-Dame. In Catalonia this droit de quête, recognized by Spanish Crown, was so thoroughly established that the chapter had its collectors permanently installed in that country. A famous "fraternity" existed between the chapter of Le Puy and that of Girona in Catalonia. The earliest document in which it is mentioned dates only from 1470, and he supposes that at this date the chapter of Girona, in order to escape the financial thraldom which bound it, like many Catalonian Churches, to the chapter of Le Puy, alleged its "fraternity" involving its equality -- with the Church of Le Puy. In 1479 and in 1481 Pierre Bouvier, a canon of Le Puy, came to Girona, when the canons invoked against him certain legends according to which Charlemagne had taken Girona, rebuilt its cathedral, given it a canon of Le Puy for a bishop, and established a fraternity between chapters of Girona and Le Puy. Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his In support of these legends they appealed to the liturgical Office which they chanted for the feast of Charlemagne -- an Office, dating from 1345, but in which they had recently inserted these tales of the Church of LePuy. In 1484 Sixtus IV prohibited the use of this Office, whereupon there appeared at Girona the "Tractatus de captione Gerunde", reaffirming the Girona legends about the fraternity with Le Puy. Pope Sixtus IV ( July 21, 1414 &ndash August 12, 1484) born Francesco Della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484 Down to the last days of the old regime the two chapters frequently exchanged courtesies; canons of Le Puy passing through Girona and canons of Girona passing through Le Puy enjoyed special privileges. In 1883 the removal by the Bishop of Girona of the statue of Charlemagne from that cathedral marked the definitive collapse of the whole fabric of legends out of which the hermandad between Le Puy and Girona had grown.

In the early 20th century, under bishop Francesc Pol i Baralt, born at Arenys de Mar in the diocese on 9 June, 1854, the diocese had 373 parishes, 780 priests, 325,000 Catholics. Arenys de Mar is one of the main municipalities of the Comarca of Maresme, Barcelona Province, Catalonia, Spain. The Capuchins have a monastery at Olot, and among the cloisters for women in the diocese are those of the Franciscan, the Augustinian and the Capuchin nuns. Olot (in Catalan uˡɫɔt is the capital of the comarca of Garrotxa, in the province of Girona, Catalonia,

Houses along the riu: the bridge's concrete span is 25cm thick at the center
Houses along the riu: the bridge's concrete span is 25cm thick at the center

Sights

The ancient portion of the city with its once-formidable fortifications stands on the steep hill of the Capuchins, while the more modern section is in the plain and stretches beyond the river. The bastions of the walls which have withstood so many sieges are still to be seen.

The ancient cathedral, which stood on the site of the present one, was used by the Moors as a mosque, and after their final expulsion was either entirely remodelled or rebuilt. The present edifice is one of the noblest monuments of the school of the Majorcan architect Jaume Fabre and one of the finest specimens of Gothic architecture in Spain. It is approached by eighty-six steps. An aisle and chapels surround the choir, which opens by three arches into the nave, of which the pointed stone vault is the widest in Christendom (73 feet). Among its interior decorations is a retable which is the work of the Valencian silversmith Pere Bernec. It is divided into three tiers of statuettes and reliefs, framed in canopied niches of cast and hammered silver. A gold and silver altar-frontal was carried off by the French in 1809. The cathedral contains the tombs of Raymond Berenger and his wife.

The Collegiate Church of Sant Feliu is also architecturally noteworthy. In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the Daily office of worship is maintained by a College of canons; a non-monastic or Its style is fourteenth-century Gothic, the façade dating from the eighteenth, and it is one of the few Spanish churches which possesses a genuine spire. It contains, besides the sepulchre of its patron and the tomb of the valiant Álvarez, a chapel dedicated to St. Narcissus, who according to tradition was one of the early bishops of the see.

The Benedictine church of Sant Pere de Galligants is in Romanesque style of an early date. Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in

Most traces of Girona's rich Jewish history were wiped out when the Jews were expelled from Spain (see Spanish Expulsion), however some remain. On Carrer de Sant Llorenc, the doorway of an old building has a rectangular indentation which once held a mezuzah. A mezuzah (מזוזה "doorpost" (plural mezuzot (מזוזות is a piece of Parchment (usually contained in a decorative case Further along is the Centre Bonastruc ça Porta and the Catalan Jewish Museum. The Bonastruc ça Porta project started in the 1970s, when it became fashionable to renovate properties in the old town. Clearing away nearly 700 years of construction, Jose Tarres, a local restaurateur, discovered the remains of what turned out to be the medieval yeshiva founded by Nahmanides. Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n Nahmanides (1194 &ndash c 1270 was a Catalan Rabbi, philosopher, Physician, Kabbalist and biblical commentator.

The city has a number of relevant Art Nouveau buildings including the Farinera Teixidor by Rafael Masó. Rafael Masó (b 1880 - d1935 was a Catalan Art Nouveau architect

Panorama of Girona: cases penjades on Onyer River and the Cathedral
Panorama of Girona: cases penjades on Onyer River and the Cathedral


Sports

During the professional cycling season, various non-European pro cyclists have called Girona home, as illustrated in the book Inside the Postal Bus by Michael Barry, written during his time with the US Postal Service cycling team. Between races, cyclists do their training rides outside the city, which provides excellent training terrain.

In the Spring of 1997 Marty Jemison, Tyler Hamilton and George Hincapie moved to Girona as teammates of the US Postal Service Professional Cycling Team. This was the first year that American cyclists started living in Girona and meeting for training rides at the Pont de Pedra.

Education

The city is the home of the Universitat de Girona. The University of Girona ( Universitat de Girona) is located in the city of Girona, Catalonia.

Transport

Road

The town is on the Autopista AP-7 and N-II. The Autopista AP-7 (also called Autopista del Mediterráneo) is a Spanish Autopista ( Limited-access highway) N-II was the former name for the Route Nacional from Madrid to Barcelona and France. The city is also the hub of the local road network with routes to the coast and inland towards the Pyrenees.

Public Transport

The city has a comprehensive local bus service. There are also services to the other towns in the Girona province.

Train

Girona is served by the mainline from Barcelona to Portbou and the French Frontier. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Portbou is a town in the Alt Empordà comarca, in Girona province, Catalonia, Spain. The journey time to Barcelona is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. There are plans to create a station on the new High speed rail line from Barcelona to Avignon. Avignon (/aviɲɔ̃/ in French) ( Provençal: Avinhon in classical norm or Avignoun in Mistralian norm is a commune

Airport

Main article: Girona-Costa Brava Airport

The town's airport, Girona-Costa Brava, is 10 km south of the town centre. Girona-Costa Brava Airport is an Airport located 12 km south of the city of Girona, next to the small village of Vilobí d'Onyar, in the north-east It has grown hugely in recent years principally as a result of Ryanair choosing it as one of their European hubs. Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK Whilst the airport has been used since the early 1980s for charter flights, holidaymakers and other travellers now have a wide range of scheduled flights available from a number of destinations across Europe. Girona Airport is well situated for travellers to the resorts of the Costa Brava. The Costa Brava is a coastal region of northeastern Catalonia, Spain, in the comarques of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and

Girona Airport is a 1 hour bus ride from Barcelona centre, 92 km to the south. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Most low cost airlines mention "Barcelona" in their descriptions of Girona airport. The bus stops in the center of Barcelona, in Estacio d'Autobusos Barcelona Nord, Barcelona's main bus terminal.

For more information about the Airport, see Girona-Costa Brava Airport. Girona-Costa Brava Airport is an Airport located 12 km south of the city of Girona, next to the small village of Vilobí d'Onyar, in the north-east

Town twinning

See also

Sources and external links

Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Nueva Gerona is the capital city of the Isla de la Juventud special municipality of Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Origin The title of Prince of Girona is one of the titles given to the crown prince of the Aragon Crown. La Girona was a galleass of the 1588 Spanish Armada which foundered and sank off Lacada Point, County Antrim, Ireland, Girona's Cathedral is the Cathedral of Girona in Catalonia, Spain. This is a list of the contemporary mayors of Girona ( 1814 - 2006) A country
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