The Roman Spine of the Medieval Call

Carrer de la Força forms the bustling primary spine of El Call, running along the historical intra-muros trajectory of the Roman Cardo Maximus and Via Augusta. While today's visitors often imagine a self-contained medieval Jewish enclave, historical records demonstrate that Girona's Jewish residents originally owned properties, operated businesses, and lived in various quarters across the city. As the self-governing community, or aljama, matured in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Carrer de la Força became its main physical and commercial artery. Looking up at the multi-story stone residences lining the narrow thoroughfare, you can spot structural seams, filled arches, and altered masonry where centuries of rebuilding took place. This street was never a isolated island, but rather an active, integrated core linking the cathedral precinct above to the lower city below.