Day Trips from Barcelona - Barcelona - page 383

Until 1492 Girona was home to Catalonia's second-most important medieval Jewish com-
munity (after Barcelona), and one of the finest Jewish quarters in the country. The Call
(Catalan for 'ghetto') was centred on the narrow Carrer de la Força for 600 years, until re-
lentless persecution forced the Jews out of Spain. This excellent museum shows genuine
pride in Girona's Jewish heritage without shying away from the less salubrious aspects, such
as persecution by the Inquisition and forced conversions.
Other well-presented displays deal with Girona's Jewish contribution to medieval astro-
nomy and medicine, the synagogue, everyday life, and rituals in the Jewish community and
the diaspora. Standout objects include funerary slabs and the original documents ordering
the expulsion of Jews from Spain. Opens shorter hours in low season.

CHURCH

CATEDRAL
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.catedraldegirona.org ; Plaça de la Catedral; adult/student incl Basílica de
Sant Feliu €7/5, Sun free; 10am-7.30pm Apr-Oct, 10am-6.30pm Nov-Mar)
The billowing baroque facade of the cathedral towers over a flight of 86 steps rising from
Plaça de la Catedral. Though the beautiful double-columned Romanesque cloister dates to
the 12th century, most of the building is Gothic, with the second-widest nave (23m) in
Christendom. The 14th-century gilt-and-silver altarpiece and canopy are memorable, as are
the bishop's throne and the museum, which holds the masterly Romanesque Tapís de la
creació (Tapestry of the Creation) and a Mozarabic illuminated Beatus manuscript, dating
from 975.
The Creation tapestry shows God at the epicentre and in the circle around him the cre-
ation of Adam, Eve, the animals, the sky, light and darkness.

MUSEUM

MUSEU D'HISTÒRIA DE GIRONA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.girona.cat/museuciutat ; Carrer de la Força 27; adult/student/child €4/
2/free; 10.30am-5.30pm Tue-Sat, to 1.30pm Sun)
The engaging and well-presented city history museum does Girona's long and impressive
story justice, its displays covering everything from the city's Roman origins, through the
siege of the city by Napoleonic troops to the sardana (Catalonia's national folk dance) tradi-
tion. A separate gallery houses cutting-edge temporary art and photography exhibits.

GALLERY

MUSEU D'ART
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.museuart.com ; Plaça de la Catedral 12; admission €2; 10am-7pm Tue-

Sat May-Sep, to 6pm Oct-Apr, 10am-2pm Sun)