‘Game Of Thrones’ Likely To Resurrect Ancient Spanish City

Girona, Spain, may not be on the travel itineraries of most vacationers. After all, it sits in the Northeast corner of the country, not on the sea, and Barcelona, to its south, is probably as far north as most tourists go.

This is all about to change. The quiet ancient city is about to be put on the map by the filming of the sixth season of Game of Thrones, which due to hit TV sets this Sunday. Several spots in this medieval, religiously-focused town are scenes in the new season, and, as has happened in the past with other film location spots, there is bound to be an uptick in tourism.

The miraculous story of how 'Game of Thrones' brought a tiny Spanish town back from the dead https://t.co/UIeqTWLFSb pic.twitter.com/xaRHcYwfSd

— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) April 19, 2016

Girona Prepares

To history and architecture buffs, Girona is a bit of a paradise. The city itself is 2,000 years old, housing some amazing architecture and sections devoted to the three largest world religions – Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. And throughout, visitors will find cobblestone streets, fortresses with walls and towers, and churches which can only be described as monumental. As a setting for Game of Thrones, nothing could be more perfect.

Like other filming locations in Northern Ireland, Seville, and Croatia, Girona will witness an uptick in tourism as the sixth season rolls on. Game of Thrones fans who are already planning trips throughout Europe will likely add the city to their itineraries just to walk and stand where their favorite stars did and get a first-hand understanding of the setting of this wildly popular HBO series.

Game of Thrones, in fact, has renewed an interest in medieval history on the part of many who have not had much interest in history in the past. And Girona has that history.

Visiting Girona is a time-travel experience, throwing tourists back to that fascinating but dangerous era that was the creative spark for this 10-part series.

Among locations were the following.

• The Girona Cathedral, a mix of Romanesque, Baroque, and Gothic architecture, as builders continued to add sections over 700 years, from the 11th to the 18th. From the widest Gothic Nave in the world to the metal work of the enormous altar, it is a sight to see. There is even a gargoyle in a dress – a witch who was turned to stone after throwing rocks at the church.
• The Cathedral Museum located just to the left is small but mighty. It houses a tapestry that tells the creation story of Genesis and is believed to be the first Christian depiction of the Jews.
• The Jewish Quarter is small and now houses only the Jewish History Museum. Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 and their buildings and temples destroyed.
• The Arab baths are so named because the architecture is definitely Moorish. Beyond that, there is not much to tell a visitor that Moors were once in Spain at all.
• The city’s walls. Nothing can be more medieval than a town encased in protective. Most of these were built in the 13th century to replace the 9th-century ones that no longer worked as the town expanded.

What’s in Store This Season?

Obviously, fans are waiting anxiously to learn whether Jon Snow is alive or dead. HBO has done a good job of keeping interest going in between with trailers and snippets of news. For those looking for comparisons between the books and series, there will most likely be differences as there were in the first five episodes.

Here are a few teasers that have been revealed.

• A bloodied Jon Snow is seen on a slab – is he dead or not?
• Bran and Hodor are obviously returning.
• There are rumors that The Hound will re-appear, though no trailers or advance media publicity confirm this.
• Ian McShane of Deadwood fame has been added to the cast – his role is still a mystery.
• There will be more about the war against the dead, and Sansa has already been shown in a warrior costume in one of the trailers.

The sixth season is set for as much popularity as the previous five. Adding Girona to an already well-selected list of filming locations should add even more authenticity.

[Image via GOTsfile|Creative Commons| Flickr]