Pericota

The charm of the city's surroundings

Pericota is an enchanting maiden, laughing and pink-cheeked. She bears the name of one of the wells in the valley of Sant Daniel, the Well of Pericot. 

Streams and torrents come together in the bed of the Gallagants River, forming a valley rich in watersources. There are springs with very different names: spring of the Bishop, of the Lions, of the Milestone, of the Priests or of the Mules. The oldest, however, is the Spring of Pericot. Formerly called the Roman Spring, it takes its current name from a house constructed next to it in the 18th century belonging to the Pericot family. 

The springs of the verdant valley have been a recreation area favored by Gironins, as residents of the city of Girona are called. Sunday afternoons they held gatherings and danced the sardana (a traditional circle dance). The volume of people was so large that small shops ended up being put here. To abate one’s hunger, one could buy cookies that received the name of “small caps” due to their particular shape. 

From this comes Pericota’s joyous smile. She is dressed up in a wide skirt that comes to below her knees, a white apron like those worn to dance the sardana and a scarf over her head. For a while, she carried an earthenware jug of fresh wáter as an accessory.