Girona's Medieval Quarter Spotlighted
Girona, Spain has been highlighted as a "medieval secret" just one hour from Barcelona, featuring Roman stones, Europe's best-preserved historic quarter, and Onyar River sunsets. The destination gained 32 likes and 3 reposts with a 2-minute video attracting over 2,000 views. Yunnan's Shaxi Ancient Town was also featured as a Tea Horse Road relic with 14th-century Sideng Square and Qing Dynasty architecture.
- Girona's Jewish Quarter, known as "El Call," is one of the best-preserved in Europe and flourished between the 10th and 15th centuries. At its peak, it was the second-largest Jewish community in Catalonia and home to Nahmanides, a major medieval Jewish scholar. - The colorful houses hanging over the Onyar River were originally built on the medieval city wall during the 16th century. Their present-day vibrant colors are the result of a restoration project in the 1980s, with one of the most prominent, the white house, being the former home of architect Rafael Masó. - The city's Cathedral of Saint Mary boasts the widest unsupported Gothic arch in the world and is a major landmark. Before the current cathedral, the nearby Basilica of Sant Feliu served as Girona's first cathedral and holds art dating back to the 4th century. - Shaxi Ancient Town was a critical hub on the Tea Horse Road, a trade network that predates the more famous Silk Road by at least 300 years. This route was primarily used for trading Tibetan ponies for Chinese tea, a substance the Tibetans considered one of the four pillars of life. - The heart of Shaxi is the Sideng Square, which was placed on the World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites in 2001. This led to a Swiss-led restoration of its main structures, including the Xingjiao Temple. - Xingjiao Temple, originally built in 1415 during the Ming Dynasty, is the only surviving Azhaliism (a form of Vajrayana Buddhism) temple of the Bai people in China. Its preservation was ironically aided by its use as a government headquarters during the Cultural Revolution, which saved it from destruction.
