Small white clouds move through Girona’s blue sky. The first rays of sun fall on the colored houses that are crowded on the shores of the Onyar. It is spring.
Very close to the old stone bridge is the old Santa Caterina Hospital. The hospital, built in the seventeenth century, had to replace the medieval hospitals that were outside the city’s doors, which had long been small and that had originally been built for pilgrims and lepers. To serve the growing population of Girona, a modern building was projected, with wide and luminous stays and its own hospital pharmacy.
Of course, there was also a chapel where the sick could pray for their recovery. During the guided tour, I not only learn about the history of the old hospital, but I can also contemplate a special picture that can be seen in the old chapel: The Great Day of Girona, It is the oil title of the painter Ramon Martí Alsina.
With incredible dimensions of 4.96 × 10.82 meters, it is larger than the Picasso Guernica. As the name of the painting suggests, Alsina captured a special day in Girona’s history: a city victory over the great Armée during the Napoleonic wars in the Iberian Peninsula.
Over the centuries, Girona has had to repeatedly endure incursions, battles and looting armies. One of these sieges during the French War, on September 19, 1809, was successfully repelled by the defenders of Girona. Napoleon’s troops had to retire (for the moment) without having taken Girona. The large picture shows the victorious general Álvarez de Castro, the French soldiers defeated in the lower part of the painting and several of the heroic women of the Santa Barbara company, recognizable by the red tapes in their arms. The “bàrbaras” were militarily organized women who, sometimes armed, defended the city with men.
Finally we arrive at the culminating moment of the tour. Through the patio planted with Magnolios, the small pharmacy is reached, to the left of the impressive entrance ladder. During an integral renovation in 1928, the inner courtyard was also embellished in a novelty style with magnolia flowers stylized in staging technique.
The little pharmacy is a treasure of a past era. It seems that nothing has changed here in 200 years: the shelves are full of ceramic vessels and bottles that contain tinctures and herbs that are supposed to cure the sick. Even some medical instruments of the hospital have been preserved: knives, drills and mountains, although today they seem rather medieval torture instruments.
On the way to the former Santa Caterina Hospital to the cathedral of Girona, walk through the beautiful old town of Girona. From the Old Fish Bridge a red metal bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel’s office, you can see the bell tower of the cathedral.
In the labyrinth of alleys in the Jewish neighborhood there are many small stores and restaurants. The Xurreria de la Cort Reial is located in a small square surrounded by Porches, the Plaça de les Voltes d’en Rosés. Only the entrance door of the charming store draws me a smile of happiness on the face, because this Xurreria clearly belongs to the fabulous world of Amélie. Decorated with affection as a colorful set of vintage film, with Xurros and Bunyols as protagonists, Montse and Alex have transformed the small store into an authentic work of art.
Of course I have to try right now the bunyols stuffed with newly mounted cream. A dream! Montse puts the heart and soul at work. His parents already sold their precious products baked in this small workshop in the heart of the old town.
As then, just behind the small counter you can see how the dough is mixed and the xurros are prepared. Fresco every day, the exhibition is quickly filled with these sweet sins. It is best to buy an entire bag and enjoy baked products with friends or family, such as what is done here in Girona.
After finishing my bunyol, filled with fresh cream and sprinkled with abundant white glasses, I say goodbye to this lovely place with the sorry heart. I arrive at the Cathedral along the street of La Força, going through two of my favorite museums, the museum of L’Hartona de Girona and the museum of L’Tads dels Judus. At the foot of the impressive staircase a guitarist sits, entertaining a group of tourists who listen to their songs from the terrace of a coffee.
Through a powerful portal, which in previous centuries protected the entrance to the city, reached the Arab baths, Els Banys Arabs. The name, however, is misleading, because the Moriscas Berberes tribes, which ruled large parts of the Iberian Peninsula for many centuries, only remained in Girona for a very short time (around 70 years). Too short to leave a remarkable building. These ancient hot springs were built in “Moorish style” towards the end of the 12th century under Christian domain. It is assumed that the Jewish population also used bathing facilities such as Mikve for a while. But in the seventeenth century the monks settled in the pantheon and used the rooms as kitchen and to wash their clothes. Only at the beginning of the last century the historical value of the spa complex was recognized, restoration work began and opened to the public.
The first room I enter during the tour is an impressive beauty. In the center of Apoditerum six columns are linked around a small pile of water. Capitals, decorated with palm trees and Moorish style motifs, were originally painted in color. The arches of the doors also have the typical horseshoe shape and several small openings under the roof provide a dim light.
In this room people gathered, changed clothes and prepared for cold and hot baths in the next rooms. As in the classic Roman hot springs, there was a frigidarium (the cold part of the bathrooms), a tepidarium (warm bathroom) and a corner (or hot water bathroom). A short film clearly shows how the bathrooms worked and how they were heated.
A staircase leads to the roof of the old bathrooms and with this view on the roofs of the city, unfortunately I have to say goodbye to Girona once again. But I will come back soon, because every time I visit this magical city I discover new points of interest and ancient treasures.
Addresses and advice – Girona to follow:
OLD HOSPITAL OF SANTA CATERINA
Pompeu Fabra Square 1
17002 Girona
Entrance only with guided tour (also in English on request): museuart.cat
(More on the Girona Art Museum)
Arabs bathroom
Calle King Ferran the Catholic
17004 Girona
Web banysarabs.cat
Royal Court churreria
Calle de la Cort Real 9,
17004 Girona
cortreial
You can find professional guides for Tours for Girona – also in German – here: Guiesdegirona.com
More tips: restaurants in Girona
Casa Flora Restaurant
Calle de las Ballesteries 3,
17004 Girona
instagram.com/casaflora.girona
Small family business, fresh products of the Earth, overlooking Onyar.
FONDA D’A FOMENT RESTAURANT
Calle dels Mercaders 6,
17004 Girona
elfoment.org
Catalan traditional cuisine with delicious rice and fideuà; It belongs to a foundation committed to the preservation of Catalan language and culture.
The factory
Street of the hare 3,
17004 Girona
lafabricagirona.com
Elegant Brunch cafeteria owned by a New Zealand professional cyclist based in Girona. For all Brunch lovers and cycling.
And another small “shopping advice”:
In his small workshop-to-time, Eva Lozano creates new and unique small works of art from old gold that tell her own history. Great concept and beautiful pieces of jewelry. I immediately fell in love with Eva’s philosophy, which also includes a charming “packaging” of small treasures.
Eva Lozano jewelry
Santa Clara 46
evalozanojewelry.com
This article was published with the author’s authorization.
The author loves to travel, and it is not always necessary to go very far, because even in central Europe there are still small unknown places, exciting landscapes and exciting stories that expect to be discovered. After finishing his studies, Nicole Biarnés moved to Spain, where he has resided near Barcelona for 23 years. As an independent writer, she writes travel books, writes texts for several websites, conducts in situ research for television productions and reports life in the Mediterranean in her travel blog www.freibeuter-reisen.org.
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