Dear friend,
Of course, you can always come to Girona. Our ancient city, which Romans (wisely, I believe) decided to build, will remain here for a long time. You can stroll through the Jewish Quarter, visit the Cathedral with the widest nave in the gothic world or walk along the medieval walls.
You may also visit our museums, such as the Cinema Museum, that exhibits one of the most important pre-cinema collections of the world. Or you can enjoy the Casa Masó, a true gem of architecture, preserved exactly as its architect conceived it, almost a century ago.
Girona will always welcome you, have no doubt about that. On the tables of its restaurants you may taste the best gastronomy in the country. And at night, in our city’s bars and pubs, surely you will be invited to imagine all those worlds which are sometimes not so easy to define the day after. Of course, throughout the year, you can also attend any of the international festivals that the city organizes.
But next October you have the unique opportunity to participate in an extraordinary Conference. More than five hundred professionals from all over the world will gather in Girona to debate, exchange impressions and methodologies, and enjoy our profession as archivists. We will meet to show the world the importance and implications of our job, which has very old roots but which has rapidly evolved in recent years as a response to the demands of citizens. In short, we will share knowledge, experience and, undoubtedly, friendship.
If you decide to come, you will listen to internationally renowned keynote speakers who, from the excellence of their disciplines, will enlighten us with the strategies they use to materialize their creative world. Imagine Joan Roca, Jordi Savall, Joan Fontcuberta, Yael Heronski, … explaining how archives have been determinant in their work.
This, however, might not be enough to turn the meeting into an indispensable event. More than 150 colleagues will present their papers at the Conference. You will have the privilege to see at first hand the work of colleagues from over forty different countries and be convinced that ours is a profession facing the future with confidence.
To all the above, you must add a whole set of events that we have prepared to help you learn more about our city and its documentary heritage: publications, exhibitions, open museums, etc. Without forgetting, of course, the vast range of opportunities for entertainment and leisure or the gastronomic proposals that I am sure you will fully enjoy.
Trust me; do not let this opportunity pass. Life is too short to miss these great occasions. Next October in Girona, believe me, we will offer you an experience that is one of a kind.
What are you waiting for? Register as a conference participant and book your accommodation right now by visiting http://www.girona.cat/web/ica2014/eng/index.php
Cordially,
Joan Boadas i Raset, Girona Municipal Archivist, jboadas(AT)ajgirona.cat
Joan Boadas i Raset