Girona Jewish Quarter Route

 Here i wanted to mention a few things to look out for, to make your visit more rewarding. A visit to the Museum of Jewish life, established on the site of the 3rd medieval synagogue of the city, is an integral part of the route. I haven't finished yet but i'll post this for starters...i hope you like my picture, cos it took forever, even if it's a little grubby! It's a sort of mixture of the 'Call' now and in 1492, when the Jews of Spain were expelled and owe's rather a lot to Señor Alberch and Fugueras, as i am sure you will have noticed.
The amazing technicolour diagram



The route map
Just bear in mind that when you get to Torre Gironella (if you do that bit), you don't need to retrace your steps. There are steps down to the university car park and you can cut straight down the hill to Plaça Sant Domenec and a nice cafe...then all the way down the Pujada de Sant Domenec steps and you're home and dry. 

The route

Start at the intersection of c/ Claveria and c/ Cundaro (Pujada del Catedral), which can be reached from Plaça dels Apostols, outside the south side door of the cathedral. Plaça dels Apostols is where the first synagogue of Girona is supposed to have been sited, documented in 988. 

C/Claveria used to be called c/ de la Ruca  which meant 'oven of the church' (catholic) and was where the medieval cathedral bakery was located. From here go down to c/ Lluis Batlle and c/ Sant Llorenç. 

From c/ Sant Llorenç, turn right up to c/ de la Força, Escales de la Pera and Plaça del Catedral. In the 15th century, c/ de la Força was called c/ Sant Llorenç and was the main road of the 'Call'.  It was also the roman 'via augusta' and cardo maximus of the original roman settlement of Gerunda. The 2nd synagogue, in the 14th century, was situated at number 21, c/ de la Força. Confusingly, the present day c/ Sant Llorenç used to be called c/ de la Sinagoga and ended in a 2nd Jewish gate to the East when the Call was closed off. When you reach Pujada de la Pera, don't mis the Subirach sculpture showing the floor plan of the cathedral and the workers and tools involved. I love this and you can compare it to his work on the Sagrada Familia Façade, in stone rather than metal. 

Continuing north up c/ de la Força you reach a tiny square on the left called Plaçeta de l'institut Vell. There is the entrance to the History of Girona museum and if you search the other doors you will find a mezuzah or Jewish prayer scroll slit. At the top of c/ de la Força would have been the northern entrance gate to the Call. The square in front of the cathedral steps, apart from being the old roman forum, was the market place for jews and non jews alike. From here was the route for the Jews to take to bury their dead on the -Montjuic mountain, literally 'Jewish mountain'.

You eventually arrive at Torre Gironella following the Passeig Arqueologic. This was the site of Jewish traumas in 1391 when the tower and castle became a refuge from violence for 17 weeks.
From the tower back to the Call, go via the Pujada dels Alemanys, Sant Domenec, C/ de les Escola Pies and c/ Oliva i Prat. This comes out at the Plaçeta del Correu Vell where in the 14th century there had been a 3rd Jewish gate.
Finish your route in the Jewish Museum on c/ de la Força.