Girona History Museum to Renovate Its First Floor Ahead of Exhibition Marking the City's 2,100th Anniversary

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

The refurbished exhibition space is expected to reopen in May. Until then, admission to the museum will be free.

The Girona History Museum has closed the first floor of its premises to renovate the permanent galleries previously dedicated to Roman Girona and the medieval city. The aim is to house the exhibition City, Society and Life, part of Girona, 2,100 Years: 21 Objects for 21 Centuries. The exhibition will form part of the celebrations marking the 2,100th anniversary of the city's foundation and is scheduled to open in early May 2027.

As only part of the museum's exhibition route will be accessible over the coming months, admission to the Girona History Museum will be free for everyone wishing to visit while the first floor remains closed.

The exhibition will occupy the entire first floor of the Museum, bringing together the galleries devoted to Roman and medieval Girona with the temporary exhibition gallery and the Ermessenda room, which has so far been used for conferences and various activities. It will be curated by Carme Sais Gruart, head of the City Council's Visual Arts, Museums and Heritage Service, and Sílvia Planas Marcé, the Museum's director, with Pep Canaleta as design curator.

Most of the objects and artefacts previously displayed in the Roman and medieval Girona galleries will remain on view in the new exhibition from May onwards, but within a different narrative framework. The exhibition will no longer follow a chronological sequence; instead, it will be organised around social themes, offering a contemporary perspective on the city's history.

Girona, 2,100 Years: 21 Objects for 21 Centuries will also include the exhibition Divergences and Beliefs, which will open on 19 December at the Museum of Jewish History and remain on view until 31 March 2028.

While the first floor is closed, the Museum will present two exhibitions focusing on art and culture on the fourth floor. The first, entitled Remembering Varés, is dedicated to Antoni Varés, a multifaceted figure from Girona, and will open on Monday, 26 October, at 7.30 pm. The second will feature works by Narcís Comadira and will form part of an exhibition devoted to this artist and writer. It will be open to visitors from late January 2027.

The celebrations marking the 2,100th anniversary of the founding of Gerunda, established in 76-77 BC, continue with a programme organised by the city's museums, archives and cultural organisations and coordinated by Girona City Council. Planned activities include the talks Girona, a City to Discover and Ten Discoveries from Our Heritage; guided visits to the stored collections of the city's archives and museums; the series The Future Is Written; Only the Roman Past Is Unpredictable; the exhibition series Legacies in the Making; and the activity 21 Centuries/21 Architectural Landmarks.

As a major highlight of the celebrations, the Institute of Girona Studies and Girona City Council have organised the Girona Bimillennium Congress. Experts from across the region and beyond will discuss the founding of Roman cities and their urban, political and social development over the centuries.

The bimillennium programme is supported by the city's heritage sector, museums and archives. These institutions are contributing by lending objects and documents and opening their collections storage areas to the public, for the first time as part of a coordinated initiative.