Girona
History
History
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[thumb\|Onyar river in Girona, c. 1852\|left](/wiki/File:Riu_Onyar_a_Girona%2C_c._1852.jpg "Riu Onyar a Girona, c. 1852.jpg")
The first historical inhabitants in the region were [Iberians](/wiki/Iberians "Iberians"); Girona is the ancient **Gerunda**, a city of the [Ausetani](/wiki/Ausetani "Ausetani"). Later, the [Romans](/wiki/Ancient_Rome "Ancient Rome") built a [citadel](/wiki/Citadel "Citadel") there, which was given the name of *Gerunda*. The [Visigoths](/wiki/Visigoths "Visigoths") ruled in Girona until it was conquered by the [Moors](/wiki/Moors "Moors") in 715\. [Charlemagne](/wiki/Charlemagne "Charlemagne") reconquered it in 785 and made it one of the fourteen original [counties](/wiki/Counties "Counties") of Catalonia. It was sacked by the Moors in 827, 842, 845, 935, and 982\. [Wilfred the Hairy](/wiki/Wilfred_the_Hairy%2C_Count_of_Barcelona "Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona") incorporated Girona into the [County of Barcelona](/wiki/County_of_Barcelona "County of Barcelona") in 878\.

In the 11th century, [Alfonso II of Aragon and I of Barcelona](/wiki/Alfonso_II_of_Aragon "Alfonso II of Aragon") declared Girona a city. The ancient county became a [duchy](/wiki/Duchy "Duchy") within the [Principality of Catalonia](/wiki/Principality_of_Catalonia "Principality of Catalonia") in 1351 when King [Peter III of Aragon](/wiki/Peter_III_of_Aragon "Peter III of Aragon") gave the title of [Duke](/wiki/Duke "Duke") to his first\-born son, John. In 1414, King [Ferdinand I](/wiki/Ferdinand_I_of_Aragon "Ferdinand I of Aragon") in turn gave the title of [Prince of Girona](/wiki/Principality_of_Girona "Principality of Girona") to his first\-born son, [Alfonso](/wiki/Alfonso_V_of_Aragon "Alfonso V of Aragon"). The title is currently carried by Princess [Leonor](/wiki/Leonor%2C_Princess_of_Asturias "Leonor, Princess of Asturias") of [Asturias](/wiki/Principality_of_Asturias "Principality of Asturias"), the second since the 16th century to do so.

The earliest documented evidence of a Jewish community in Girona dates to about 885\. The 12th century saw the [Jewish](/wiki/Jew "Jew") community of Girona flourish, having one of the most important [Kabbalistic](/wiki/Kabbalah "Kabbalah") schools in Europe. The [Rabbi](/wiki/Rabbi "Rabbi") of Girona, [Moshe ben Nahman Gerondi](/wiki/Nahmanides "Nahmanides") (better known as Nahmanides or Ramban) was appointed Great Rabbi of Catalonia. Centered on the [Jewish Call](/wiki/Jewish_quarter_%28diaspora%29 "Jewish quarter (diaspora)") (Call Jueu), the Jewish community of Girona came to an end in 1492, when the [Catholic Monarchs](/wiki/Catholic_Monarchs "Catholic Monarchs") outlawed Judaism throughout [Spain](/wiki/Spain "Spain") and Jews were given the choice of conversion or exile (see [Alhambra Decree](/wiki/Alhambra_Decree "Alhambra Decree")). For 400 years before that time, the Jewish cemetery was located beside the road to France, just north of the old city between the mountain [Montjuïc](/wiki/Montju%C3%AFc_%28Girona%29 "Montjuïc (Girona)"), or *hill of the Jews* in medieval Catalan, and the river Ter.

Girona has undergone twenty\-five [sieges](/wiki/Siege "Siege") and been captured seven times. It was besieged by the French royal armies under Charles de Monchy d'Hocquincourt in 1653, under [Bernardin Gigault de Bellefonds](/wiki/Bernardin_Gigault_de_Bellefonds "Bernardin Gigault de Bellefonds") in 1684, and twice in 1694 under [Anne Jules de Noailles](/wiki/Anne_Jules_de_Noailles "Anne Jules de Noailles"). During the [Third siege of Girona](/wiki/Third_siege_of_Girona "Third siege of Girona") of the [Peninsular War](/wiki/Peninsular_War "Peninsular War"), the city was besieged from May to December 1809 by 35,000 French [Napoleonic](/wiki/Napoleon "Napoleon") troops under Vergier, [Augereau](/wiki/Pierre_Fran%C3%A7ois_Charles_Augereau%2C_duc_de_Castiglione "Pierre François Charles Augereau, duc de Castiglione") and [Gouvion Saint\-Cyr](/wiki/Laurent%2C_marquis_de_Gouvion_Saint-Cyr "Laurent, marquis de Gouvion Saint-Cyr"). Continuously under heavy bombardment, Girona held out obstinately under the leadership of [Álvarez de Castro](/wiki/Mariano_%C3%81lvarez_de_Castro "Mariano Álvarez de Castro") until disease and famine compelled it to capitulate on 12 December. Girona was the center of the [Ter department](/wiki/Ter_%28department%29 "Ter (department)") during the French rule, which lasted from 1809 to 1813\. The defensive [city walls](/wiki/City_wall "City wall") of the western side were demolished at the end of the 19th century to allow for the expansion of the city, while the walls of the eastern side remained untouched but abandoned.

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.


When did Alfonso II of Aragon declare Girona a city?