The history of Girona is of especial interest around the Medieval period, when the region was run by the monasteries, and small independent earldoms, the ancient castles of this era still stand, and so do many of the monuments and churches; in fact many of the province’s towns still, to this day, appear much as they did 1000 years ago.The capital city of Girona is steeped in a rich history, from the first Iberian occupation, through the Romans, the Holy Roman Empire and in 1809 Napoleon took occupation of the city after a long siege.In the 12th century the Jewish community was thriving and an important Kabbalistic school was constructed; however in the 14th century the catholic king’s drove them out of the city.