Girona Flower Festival

Girona, the capital of the namesake province in Catalonia, easily manages the number of tourists coming through its proverbial gates. None of the beautiful historic sites in the city suffer from the queues similar to La Sagrada Família in Barcelona. The Gothic cathedral is easy to visit and photograph; the Jewish Quarter has barely any crowding. It only takes a moment to kiss the famous lioness statue should you wish to guarantee your return to Girona.

This comfortable balance of the sightseeing supply and the tourist demand comes crashing down every May, when busloads of visitors arrive by the minute, the main sights have lines snaking around the block and popular restaurants start adding flower petals to soups and salads.

The first half of May in Girona is the time traditionally reserved for its much beloved and internationally renowned floral festival Temps de Flors. The Girona Flower Festival is the best time to literally smell the flowers, as well as photograph, buy and gift them.

The history of the Girona Flower Festival

What is today a massive celebration of blooming creations of all sorts began as a humble exhibit organized in 1954 in a city theatre building by several flower enthusiasts. The exhibit was small enough to fit into the main salon used during intermissions. The event was successful, so the following year it was moved into a more spacious city library hall, then the monastery Sant Pere de Galligants (Carrer de Santa Llúcia, 8) and then the monastery Sant Domènec (Plaça de Sant Domènec, 11). At some point it has become obvious that one building simply wasn't enough to host all the flowers, and the festival has begun to appropriate the whole Old Town of Girona.

The history of the festival includes a few more important milestones: in 1979, the festival was first held under the auspices of the Florist and Gardener Association (Associació dels Amics de les Flors i dels Jardins), while in 1983, the Association of Patrons of Ancient Girona (Associació d'Amics de la Girona Antiga) joined in, allowing to add private patios and gardens to the list of the festival venues. In 1992, the government of Girona took over the whole festival organization, realizing its vital importance for the city.

The Flower Festival map

The map of Temps de Flors includes more than 100 venues, from city parks to small installations and shop windows. The most attention is always given to the decoration of the city symbols and emblems, which are listed separately in the festival guide as "The 10 Must-Sees":

1. Catedral de Girona (Plaça de la Catedral, s/n)
   The Girona Cathedral is one of the most important architectural sites in Spain, built between the 11th and 17th centuries.
   
2. Capella de Sant Nicolau (Carrer de Santa Llúcia, 10)
   A Romanesque-style chapel built in the 11th century over a city cemetery.
   
3. La basilica de Sant Feliu (Plaça de Sant Feliu, 29)
   The basilica which used to be the main city church before the cathedral was built.
   
4. Esglesia de Sant Martì Sacosta (Pujada de Sant Martí, 7)
   A Jesuit monastery church built at the end of the 16th century.
   
5. Plaça dels Jurats
   A square in the very centre of the Old Town of Girona.
   
6. Casa Lleó Avinay (Carrer de Sant Llorenç)
   The house that until 1492 had belonged to one of the richest Jewish residents of Girona.
   
7. Banys Àrabs (Carrer de Ferran el Catòlic, s/n)
   The Arab Baths were built in the Romanesque style in the 12th century.
   
8. Casal de Sarraïnes (Carrer de Ferran el Catòlic, s/n)
   A two-storey building next to the Arab Baths.
   
9. Església de Sant Lluc (Carrer Ferran el Catòlic, s/n)
   A church built in 1724.
   
10. Torre Gironella / Jardins dels Alemanys (Carrer de la Muralla, 2)
    A former spot of the 17th-century barracks for the mercenary German soldiers.

1. Concurs de flors — the main festival prize with several categories:
   
   • a flower bouquet
     
   • a rose bouquet
     
   • a single rose
     
   • a potted flower
     
   • a deciduous plant
     
   • cacti
     
   • orchids
     
   • azaleas and rhododendrons
     
   • bonsai
   
   
2. Concurs d'aparadors — a prize for the best shop window and the best interior decoration for hotels, restaurants and local shops. The winning criteria include the originality of the idea, usage of fresh and growing flowers, as well as the artistic execution.
   
   
3. Just for flowers — a prize for the best short film about the festival. At the beginning of Temps de Flors, participants draw the future filming locations of their films out of a hat. Filming and editing take place over 36 hours.