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ATTRACTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS IN GIRONA |
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Attraction | | |
The houses of the Onyar, Girona |
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Description | | |
The houses overhanging the River Onyar provide one of the most endearing vistas of Girona. Built towards the end of the Middle Ages, they were originally attached to the city wall which encircled the old quarter and the mercantile borough. On a typically clear day, the rippling reflections of the warm pastel colours can be quite captivating. |
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Attraction | | |
The Muralla (old town wall), Girona |
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Description | | |
The walkway along the top of the old town wall provides viewing platforms allowing something like a birds eye view of the medieval heart of the city. Descending the wall at intervals allows visitors to enjoy the meticulously sculpted gardens which nestle at the foot of the wall, and where cosy wooden benches give shady refuge from the midday sun.
The original wall built by the Romans in the 3rd century B.C. was relatively low. In an effort to better fend off attacks, it was fortified and expanded in medieval times. But few protective walls in Europe can have had such little success in dissuading potential invaders - Girona has been besieged on 25 different occasions, seven of which resulted in foreign conquest of the city.
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Attraction | | |
Arab Baths, Girona |
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Description | | |
Situated just round the corner from the cathedral, the bath house was built in 1194, based on a combination of Moorish and Roman designs. Following a siege in 1283 which led to extensive damage, it then underwent large-scale repair. Having been closed for most of the 15th century, it then enjoyed a variety of uses until recent times, including as a convent, a pantry, a kitchen and a wash house. |
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Attraction | | |
Devesa Parc and Ornamental Gardens, Girona |
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Description | | |
Devesa Parc is the largest city park in Catalunya. In a pretty location alongside the River Ter as it rushes down from the Pyrenees to the coast, its trees are popularly believed to have been planted by the French army during the Napoleonic occupation of Girona (1810-1814). In fact, the current layout of the park was planned by the municipal architect under the direction of the local Mayor five decades later. The many footpaths criss-crossing the regimental columns of plane trees soon became a major leisure attraction, and the park became the focus of the evening promenade, as well as accommodating military march-pasts and athletic events.
But the building of a railway line had the effect for a time of cutting the park off from the heart of the city. Access was only possible through a hole in the embankment, and in the middle of the last century its popularity went into decline, with mismanagement of the trees contributing to the deteriorating condition of the park.
However, the removal of the railway line and embankment in the 1970s went hand in hand with a "Save La Devesa" campaign. This co-incided with the reintroduction of democracy in the country, and the local council undertook to revitalise the park and its environs. This has included the construction alongside the park of La Fira, which houses regular trade fairs, and in 2007 the opening of the Palau de Congressos, an impressive conference venue and concert hall, overlooking the River Ter. The park has once more become central to the social life of the city, accommodating the twice weekly outdoor market (Wednesday and Saturday mornings) and a fun fare and outdoor concerts during the annual Fiesta de Sant Narcis (last week of October).
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Attraction | | |
Church of Sant Feliu, Girona |
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Description | | |
The church of Sant Feliu is believed to have been built above the tomb of Feliu of Africa, a 4th century Bishop of Girona. The church features pillars and arches in Roman style and a Gothic nave. The bell tower is supported on a solid octagonal base. The interior of the church contains some beautiful artwork, including a 14th century Reclining Christo and a 16th century altarpiece. The church is open daily from 7am - 1pm & 4pm - 6:30pm. Admission is free of charge. |
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Attraction | | |
Exhibition of the origins of cinema and the history of film making |
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Description | | |
Both children and adults will be fascinated by the creations on display, from Chinese hand shadows to the Lumiere brothers camera. It is one of the few museums where you can take a 500 year journey through the history of images, discovering the origins of cinema. On show are technical innovations from the 7th century up to the arrival of television. Open Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm, Sat 10am - 8pm & Sun 11am - 3pm. |
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Attraction | | |
Girona Cathedral and the Tapestry of Creation |
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Description | | |
Largely dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, the Cathedral has the widest Gothic nave in the world, and the second widest nave of all styles after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The tower ("Torre de Carlemany") features outstanding relief sculptures. Both the tower and cloisters date from the original Romanesque Cathedral (1038). The Cathedral museum houses the Tapestry of the Creation, a rare 11th century tapestry depicting the creation of the world, the months of the year and Biblical characters. The Cathedral is open daily from 9am - 1pm and in the afternoon during the seasonal museum visiting hours.
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Attraction | | |
The Call and the Jewish History Museum, Girona |
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Description | | |
Having begun to settle in Girona as early as 890, by the end of the 13th century, a thriving Jewish community of shoemakers, tailors, potters, booksellers and a few wealthy families had become established traders in the city. Much of the Call, the labyrinth of narrow streets and steep passageways at the heart of medieval Girona, has only been recently rediscovered. The latter-day excavation and restoration of the Call is an interesting story in itself. Best experienced at dusk, the maze of cramped alleys and dark corners conveys a certain sense of timelessness.
The various museum galleries show the customs and traditions of Jews in the Middle Ages, including daily and family life in the Call, the internal organisation of the community and the religious calendar. The museum explains what the Calls were and the role of the synagogue in the city. The final gallery is a re-creation of the cemetery in Montjuic which overlooks Girona, using a collection of tombstones with Hebrew inscriptions, which is unrivalled in Spain.
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Attraction | | |
City History Museum of Girona |
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Description | | |
Gerunda was founded by the Romans, at a time when the empire was expanding rapidly with the creation of new cities. Due to its strategic location, the Romans erected a city wall which allowed them to control military and trade routes to the north and south of the city. A section of this original wall is incorporated in the museum basement, which can be viewed today. The Roman city had a population of between one and two thousand, living in an urban network of parallel and perpendicular streets. The museum traces the history of the city from the pre-historic to the present day.
The building housing the museum is itself of interest, having been a prominent Gothic mansion in the 15th century, and later becoming the Sant Antoni monastery of the Capuchin friars. Much of the building has been preserved in fine condition, including the monastery cloister and cemetery, which was used for drying corpses before they were mummified. The cemetery is one of only three of its kind that remains in the world. The museum is open Tue - Sat 10am - 2pm & 5pm - 7pm, Sun 10am - 2pm. |
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Attraction | | |
Romanesque Art Exhibition |
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Description | | |
The Museu dArt is housed just behind the cathedral in the restored Episcopal Palace. The early rooms deal with Romanesque art, including some impressive Majestats (wooden images of Christ wrapped in a tunic) taken from the province's churches. The collection progresses chronologically as you climb the floors, passing a room of bright 15th century retables (their intricate scenes almost 3D in effect), a lovely set of 16th century liturgical items and 19th and 20th century Catalan art on the top two floors.
The museum also contains the depiction shown above of one of the many sieges inflicted upon Girona during its violent history (Oleo Sobre Lienzo, by Ramon Marti i Alsina, 1865).
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Attraction | | |
Archaeological Museum, Girona |
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Description | | |
Girona's Archaeology Museum in the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants sits just north of Girona Cathedral. The building is a 10th century Benedictine monastery, a noteworthy example of Catalan Romanesque, with an attractive cloister. It contains a selection of Roman sculptures and a mix of finds from the Girona area from prehistorical to the Middle Ages. |
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN GIRONA |
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20 May to 27 July 2008 |
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Description | | |
Exhibition of Tibetan art from the 17th to 19th centuries. |
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Event | | |
Concert - Jean-Guihen Queyras |
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Description | | |
Acclaimed as one of the outstanding cellists of his generation, Jean-Quihen Queyras will play, on his superb Gioffredo Cappa instrument dating from 1696, Bach's Cello Suites in their entirety, spread over two nights of enchantment. |
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Venue | | |
Civic Centre, Sant Narcis, Girona |
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Description | | |
The Sardana and Regional Dances |
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Event | | |
Concert - The Night of Songwriters |
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Description | | |
Standup Comedy |
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Event | | |
Street performance - Bloc Quilombo Percussion |
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Description | | |
A night of throbbing rhythm in the streets of Girona, inspired by African and Latin American influences. |
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Venue | | |
Placa Josep, Girona |
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Description | | |
Street theatre |
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Event | | |
Concert - Quartet for the End of Time |
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Description | | |
The French composer Olivier Messiaen produced his awe-inspiring Quartet for the End of Time, while he was a prisoner in the German Stalag 8A concentration camp in Gorlitz. The result is a work of inspired and reflective music. |
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Event | | |
Concert - Frederic Mompou |
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Description | | |
The dematerialization of music reaches its maximum simplicity in the work of Frederic Mompou. Through the elimination of all that is accessory is born the compilation Musica Callada (Silent Music), a collection of four Cuadernos (Notebooks) inspired by the verses of Saint John of the Cross, and which are a testimony to the interior world of the composer. |
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Event | | |
Concert - Altan Celtic Irish Music |
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Description | | |
Inspired by the mellifluous voice of lead singer Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, and with 25 years of experience behind them, Altan is today the best-known group in the world of Irish Celtic music. Their repertoire combines sensual ballads and foot-tapping reels and jigs with an elegant mastery of their instruments which has taken them to perform on the most prestigious stages in the world.
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Concert - Gilberto Gil |
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Description | | |
Gilberto Gil, together with his friend and fellow musician Caetano Veloso, is one of the founding fathers of tropicalismo, with historic recordings such as Roda, Lunik 9 and Domingo No Parque, and collaborations with groups like Yes, Pink Floyd and the Incredible String Band. In addition to this, though, Gilberto Gil is also a committed social and cultural activist, and a member of the Brazilian Green Party. |
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Event | | |
Concert - Olivier Vernet |
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Description | | |
Organ recital of J. S. Bach: Toccata & Fugue in D Minor |
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Concert - Boban & Marco Markovic Orkestar |
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Description | | |
Unanimously recognized as the best trumpet player in the Balkans, Boban Markovic has taken his Orkestar to international success, thanks to a repertoire based on a mixture of jazz, Latin and pop styles with traditional Serbian music. |
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Event | | |
Concert - Divna Ljubjevic - Bizantine Sacred Chants |
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Description | | |
Divna Ljubjevic is recognized and applauded for the unrivalled purity of her voice wherever she sings. As a little girl she first learned at the monastery of Vavedenje, in Montenegro, the songs of the Orthodox Liturgy which she still interprets today with extraordinary delicacy and sensitivity. |
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Event | | |
Concert - Barbatuques - Body Percussion |
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Description | | |
Barbatuques consists of 13 percussionists from Sao Paulo (Brazil) who use their own bodies as musical instruments. With the influence of Brazilian and African rhythms, they explore the true "universal music" without distinguishing between traditional and natural instruments. |
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Event | | |
Concert - Burhan Ocal & Istambul Oriental Ensemble |
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Description | | |
The percussionist Burhan Ocal is a veritable institution in Turkey, carrying Turkish music to the four corners of the globe. Ocal will visit Girona with the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble to show his purest and most traditional facet, bringing the audience the sounds of Turkish gipsy music. |
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Date | | |
7, 14, 21, 28 August 2008 |
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Concert - Jewish music |
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Description | | |
A celebration of traditional Jewish music taking place every Thursday evening in August. |
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Description | | |
International Horse Show |
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Date | | |
3 October to 6 December 2008 |
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Event | | |
Temporada Alta Theatre Festival |
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Description | | |
The 15th annual theatre festival includes a range of local and international productions in Catalan, Spanish and English. |
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Event | | |
Girona Film Festival |
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Description | | |
The 2008 Girona Film Festival is in its 21st year, including a range of local and international films in competition, also including Off Festival screenings. |
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Event | | |
International Festival of Video and Digital Arts |
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Description | | |
The 6th VAD festival includes displays of videos, installations, interactive works and live visual productions. To complement the main exhibitions and screenings of works in the official competition sections, and the Nits Digitals programme of audiovisual performances, there will also be a series of activities for reflection and knowledge-sharing. |
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24 October - 2 November 2008 |
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Festival of Sant Narcis |
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Description | | |
The annual festival of Girona includes a trade fair, fun fair and attractions, street fairs and markets, a procession of giants and fire-eaters. |
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Event | | |
Firatast Food and Drink Trade Fair |
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Description | | |
The annual trade fair of local and regional food and drink. |
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Event | | |
Chocolate Exhibition |
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Description | | |
The initiative of the Barcelona Confectionery Guild to promote the Chocolate Museum as part of our determination to innovate and modernise the sector based on the traditions of the world of confectionery.
The Chocolate Museum is the first facility of its kind in Catalonia. Its creation has been possible thanks to the determination and efforts of the members of the Guild and their suppliers. This initiative is reflected in the privileged setting of the museum itself. |
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The history of Catalonia |
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Description | | |
Displays depicting the history of Catalonia from prehistoric times to the present. |
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Description | | |
The Foundation's collection currently comprises 217 paintings, 178 sculptures, 9 textiles, 4 ceramics, the almost complete graphic works and some 8,000 drawings. |
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The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is indispensable for understanding the formative years of Pablo Ruiz Picasso. The genius of the young artist is revealed through the more than 3,500 works that make up the permanent collection. However, the Picasso Museum also reveals his relationship with Barcelona: an intimate, solid relationship that was shaped in his adolescence and youth, and continued until his death. |
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Event | | |
Maritime Exhibition |
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Description | | |
Highlights include model ships, nautical instruments, ex-votos, maritime paintings, figureheads, cartography, the replica of the royal galley of Juan de Austria, and the schooner Santa Eulàlia, a historical vessel from 1918. |
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Natural Science Exhibition |
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Description | | |
A wide range of exhibits amassed sinced the creation of the museum in 1878. |
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Contemporary Art Exhibition |
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Description | | |
Displays of Catalan, Spanish and international artists from the 1950s onwards. |
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