SPAIN
CONTINENTAL
DRIFTER
Walking
Girona’s “Wall” to the “Call”
by Elliott
Hester
click
on photos for enlargements
On a Sunday afternoon, while most Girona residents busied themselves
with lunch, I took a leisurely walk above this humble city in northeastern
Spain. My lofty route led me along the “Passeig de la Muralla” (Passage
of the Wall), a narrow walkway extending high atop an ancient wall
that once encircled the city.
Much of the protective Wall was demolished by the French after conquering
Girona in 1809. But the largest remaining section allowed me to walk
from the southeastern outskirts of Old Town to its flourishing center.
Once there, I strolled the narrow streets of the “Call,” one
of Europe’s best preserved Jewish quarters.
 Built by Romans in the third century B.C., Girona’s original
Wall was relatively short in stature. In an effort to better fend
off attacks, the Wall was fortified and expanded during Medieval
times. But the approximately 50-foot-high perimeter did not discourage
invaders. Throughout the centuries, Girona was besieged on 25 occasions,
seven of which resulted in foreign conquest.
The Girona Wall is certainly no Great Wall of China. The latter stretches
some 1,500 miles along China’s northern border. From beginning
to end, my walk along Girona’s eastern border lasted 40 minutes
over the course of maybe a mile. And this was with frequent pauses
to appreciate the view.
To begin, I climbed the steep stone stairs near the Jardins de la
Muralla (Gardens of the Wall). From there, I made my way through
a narrow stone entrance and stepped onto the top of the Wall. The
walkway, once patrolled by sentries, is barely wide enough for two
people strolling side by side.
Looking east, toward the drab apartment blocks of modern Girona,
the view was uninspiring. But as I walked farther north on the Passeig
de la Muralla, which at times felt like a 50-foot-high balance beam,
the old city came into view. Clusters of stone homes stood as solidly
as they have for centuries. Towering above the residences, the 11th-century
Sant Pere de Galligants Monastery looked more like a fortress than
a church. Behind it, rose the massive Girona Cathedral. Beyond the
city, and the Onyar River that winds through it, I could see the
purple foothills of the Pyrenees.
During my Wall walk, I stopped at meticulously sculpted gardens where
cozy wooden benches gave refuge to a few weary visitors. There were
four or five viewing towers, one of which I climbed to take advantage
of the elevated perspective.
 At the end of the Wall, the Passeig de la Muralla spills out onto
Girona’s biggest attraction: the 14th-century Cathedral. Built
in several architectural styles, including Gothic, Romanesque and
Catalán Baroque, the cathedral boasts a 75-foot-wide nave
believed to be the widest Gothic nave in the world.
Outside the premises, I descended the 17th-century baroque staircase—ninety
of the steepest steps you will ever encounter. At the bottom of the
staircase, I turned left on La Força Street and entered the
old Jewish quarter.
Jews resided in Girona as early as the year 890. By the end of the
13th century, a thriving community of shoemakers, tailors, potters,
booksellers and a few wealthy families had been formed. The callis
judaicus, the “Call”—a labyrinth of narrow streets
and steep passageways at the heart of Medieval Girona—was home
to most local Jews and a few Christian families.
After 1348, however, hard times fell upon the Call. The Jewish community
was somehow accused of causing an outbreak of the plague. Because
of this, and worsening socio-economic conditions, the Call endured
repeated attacks from anti-Semites. The worst incident occurred in
1391, when 40 Jews died in an arson assault at the gates of the Call.
In 1492, the same year Christopher Columbus “discovered” the
Americas, the Catholic kings of Spain undertook a less noble effort.
They expelled all the Jews from the country. Most Jews obeyed the
order. A few converted to Christianity and stayed on.
Although the Call is no longer a thriving Jewish community, their
legacy lives on in the ancient, beautifully preserved Medieval buildings
and narrow winding streets.
| |
|
|
| |
IF
YOU GO
Museu
D’Histori Dels Jueus Girona (The History Museum
of the Girona Jews) is a must-see for any visitor. The
four-story structure displays images and artifacts of
Jewish life from Medieval Girona. The collection includes
Jewish tombstones from as early as 5000 A.D. Address:
Calle Força, 8 Girona, Spain 17004; Tel: 011-34-972-216-761;
Web: www.ajuntament.gi/call.
For tourism information, visit the Girona Tourist Office
at www.ajuntament.gi/turisme or call 011-972-226-575..
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
