The first inhabitants in the region were Iberians; Gerona is the ancient Gerunda, a city of the Ausetani. Later, the Romans built a citadel there, which was given the name Gerunda.

The Visigoths ruled in Girona until it was conquered by the Moors. Finally, Charlemagne reconquered it in 785 and made it one of the fourteen original countships of Catalonia.Thus it was wrested temporarily from the Moors, who were driven out finally in 1015.

Guifré I incorporated Girona to the countship of Barcelona in 878. Alfonso I of Aragón declared Girona to be a city in the 11th century. The ancient countship later became a duchy (1351) when king Pere III d' Aragó gave the title of Duke to his first-born son, Joan. In 1414, King Ferran I in turn gave the title of Prince of Girona to his first-born son, Alfons.

The title is currently carried by Prince Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the first Borbón to do so. The 12th century saw a flourishing of the Jewish community of Girona, with one of the most important Kabbalistic schools in Europe.

The Rabbi of Girona, Moshe ben Nahman Gerondi was appointed Great Rabbi of Catalonia.