A Living Museum Open to All
The aim of Girona City History Museum is to show the evolution of the city, starting with the first human remains found in the area and continuing right up to the transition to democracy after the Franco dictatorship, and to portray the society that brought it all about. The fourteen exhibition rooms, arranged in chronological order, are complemented by theme rooms such as those dedicated to industrial Girona/pioneer city, sardana dancing and cobla bands, and contemporary Girona. The Museum now includes other places around the city that are part of the Network of Demographic Memory Spaces: the Jardí de la Infància air-raid shelter, the provincial prison and the mass grave are an extension of the museum room dedicated to the Spanish Civil War.
The central Museum building is located in the heart of the old part of the city and offers a varied programme of activities and temporary exhibitions. The building itself has an interesting history. In the 18th century, it housed St Anthony’s monastery of Capuchin friars, and conserves surprising features from that time, such as a cistern and a desiccation cemetery. Discover another way of experiencing the history of Girona!
This amenity is full of new offerings to acquaint visitors with the city’s history in a fun and entertaining way. The Museum was created in 1981, when Girona City Council proposed to play an active part in restoring life to a building in the old quarter, a historical building with a singular past, inviting visitors to embark on a tour along the historical trajectory of our city and of its urban social fabric.
An Iconic Building
The City History Museum is housed in a building which has of itself a singular past behind it. Its basement contains remains of the late-2nd or early-3rd century Roman wall. In the 15th century it was a prominent Gothic mansion belonging to the Cartellà family, later becoming the Sant Antoni monastery of the Capuchin friars. Simply of itself the building is a true marvel, with surprising areas that have been preserved in magnificent condition, as is the case of the former monastery’s cemetery or desiccator, the cistern (an interesting example of a water tank), the cloister and the impressive salons. Towards the end of the 19th century it became a middle school, while finally 1981 saw the creation of the City History Museum. Explore it!