It catches one’s eye, needless to say, because of its enormous measurements: 2.50 x 3.50 meters (8ft 2.4in). This is a hyperbolic bench that is part of the Big Bench Community Project, launched by a US-born designer based in Italy. From the transalpine country, these oversized structures spread across Europe, always in places with beautiful views.
This is also the case for this bench. It stands on the outskirts of Sant Jordi Desvalls, a town near Girona. From the town you reach the bench in just 15 minutes on foot, along a path suitable for everyone. Actually, the path itself constitutes a viewpoint of the Empordà plain and the peaks that demarcate it, which in winter appear covered with snow. The bench was built by the people of Sant Jordi, following the official instructions.
This is however not the only symbol of the town. Sant Jordi Desvalls is presided over by the church and the remains of the castle, and its old town preserves the network of medieval streets almost intact. Many of its houses, moreover, preserve the original appearance, with gabled portals, decorated and inscribed lintels, or Gothic and Renaissance style windows.
Both medieval architecture and town planning, and a bench with a view. 🤩 Back in the day, Sant Jordi Desvalls was crossed by the Roman road that joined two towns with a secular history: Empúries and Girona. While the first is today a spectacular Greco-Roman site, the second constitutes a fascinating compendium of the cultures that have inhabited it: the Jewish and Muslim legacy makes of Girona a wonderful destination!
ℹ️ Sant Jordi Desvalls – Empúries – Girona
