Travelogue
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HOLY TOLEDO! by Willie "Tatang" Vergara
"Holy Toledo" isn't just an expression! This historic city in central
Spain is positively packed with religious sites, and one will find
something “holy” and “religious” every step of the way. While in Madrid in
2008, our travel guide and daughter Ria, (she was still single) led us to
the City of Toledo, 70 km going South and only 30 minutes by AVE train.
Toledo is only 30 minutes from Spain’s capital city, Madrid. Spain’s “Renfe” is among Europe’s fastest trains.
Exterior and Interior of Toledo Train Station
Toledo sits on top of a hill in the center of Iberia, it was a Roman transportation hub with a thriving Jewish population. It became a Visigothic capital in 554, a regional center of the Moors in 711, and re-conquered by Christians in 1085.
Having been populated since the Bronze Age, Toledo grew in importance
during Roman times, being a main commercial and administrative center in
the Roman province of Tarraconensis. After the fall of the Roman Empire,
Toledo served as the capital city of Visigoth Spain, beginning with
Leovigild, and was the capital of Spain until the Moors conquered Iberia
in the 8th century.
The Walled City of Toledo
In 1085 Alfonso VI of Castile took Toledo and established direct personal
control over the Moorish city from which he had been exacting tribute, and
ending the medieval Taifa's Kingdom of Toledo. This was the first concrete
step taken by the combined kingdom of Leon-Castile in the Reconquista by
Christian forces.
After Castilian conquest, Toledo continued to be a major cultural centre; its Arab libraries were not pillaged, and a tag-team translation centre was established, in which books in Arabic would be translated from Arabic or Hebrew to Spanish by Arab and Jewish scholars, and from Spanish to Latin by Castilian scholars, thus letting long-lost knowledge spread through Christian Europe again.
While the Jews were commonly persecuted in Europe, Toledo’s Jewish
community thrived. During the medieval times, Toledo was a city of the
humanities, where God was known by many names. It was a haven of cultural
diversity, people of different faiths lives together in harmony.
Many famous people and artists were born or lived in Toledo, including El
Greco. It was also the place of important historic events such as the
Visigoth Councils of Toledo. As of 2007[update], the city has a population
of 78,618 and an area of 232.1 km2 (89.59 square miles).
The sign leads
to El Greco’s House
The much vaunted house of El Greco is quite unimpressive
An El Greco close-up of Spoliation 2 Disrobing of Christ by El Greco
Pope Paul III by Titian A painting by
Raphael Sanzio Toledo was Spain’s political capital until 1561. King Philip II (upon which the Philippines was named) sat on his throne here but later transferred to Madrid. Some say that the transfer was brought about by Philip II’s wanting to separate religion from government. The city was rediscovered in the 19th century and some writers regarded it as a mystical and romantic city – where the Man from La Mancha had originated. It is, indeed, a city with rich, tangled history: Roman, Jewish, Visigoth, Moorish and Christian.
Today, Toledo is one of Spain’s most popular tourist attractions. Toledo teems with tourists, souvenirs, and great art by day, delicious roast suckling pig, echoes of El Greco, and medieval magic by night. Incredibly well preserved and full of cultural wonder, the entire city has been declared a national monument.
Shopping for souvenirs
Toledo is a haven for lladro shoppers
Strolling along the narrow streets This
mini-train goes around the city 3–4 times daily
View of the Tagos
River View of rooftops
from a high elevation
We booked at Hotel Imperio, very near Plaza de Zocodover, the city’s main
square. “Zocodover” means “a marketplace for animals” in Arabic. Here,
look for: (a) benches with ceramic decors, (b) McDonalds, and (c) three
flags – one for Europe, one for Spain and one for Castile-La Mancha. It is
a local hangout where young and old people stay on the square until past
midnight.
attractions and Plaza Zocodover, the city’s center
Plaza Zocodover never sleeps Man from La
Mancha artwork in Plaza Zocodover
Flags at Plaza Zocodover – European, Spanish, and Castille-La Mancha Statue of Miguel de Cervantes
Cathedral of Toledo towers above all other buildings Cloisters of the Cathedral
The interior of the church is 110m long. Behind the Capilla Mayor is the Transparente, a huge marble altar dedicated to the Virgin. “El Transparente” has a mixture of stucco, painting, bronze elements, and marble, that goes to the roof, where a hole in the roof shines light over the whole masterpiece. The artist Narciso Tome designed it in such a manner that the altar is going to heaven.
The Cathedral is also famous for the wooden choir, carved by famous artists. There is also a treasury, where one can see gold and silver treasures, studded with jewels that are used in the Masses. There is also an exhibition of the vestments used by the priests, bishops, and cardinals.
Another room contains paintings by Goya, Van Dyck, Zurbaran, Titian, Rubens and 16 paintings of figures of the Apostles by El Greco. The church has large cloisters with frescoes by Francisco Bayeu and Maella.
Portraits of cardinals on wall Wall art inside the Cathedral museum
Painting attributed to the genius but This collection came from the Philippines criminal artist Carravagio during the time of Spanish rule
The Church of Santo Tome. This church was built in the 12th century by Don
Gonzalo Ruiz, the Lord of Orgaz, one of the most prominent citizens of
Toledo. The church is known for its beautiful Mudejar tower and the large
format painting by El Greco of the Burial of Count Orgaz. This painting of
the Burial of Count Orgaz is famous for the lifelike portraits of the
important men of Toledo of that time. In the painting the count is being
buried with the assistance of St. Augustine and St. Stephen. They came to
thank him for the money he gave to their charities. El Greco painted his
self portrait in the painting and he is the third from the left, looking
at the viewer from above the head of Saint Stephen.
Church of Santo Tome My imperfect photo of The Burial of Count Orgaz
Monasterio San Juan de los Reyes. Founded by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to commemorate their triumph over the Portuguese at Toro in 1476, the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes was started in 1477. An example of Gothic-Spanish-Flemish style, San Juan de los Reyes was restored after the damage caused during Napoleon's invasion and after its abandonment in 1835; since 1954 it has been entrusted again to the Franciscans.
Synagoga del Transito. Sinagoga del Tránsito was built in 1357. It is said that builder imported cedars from Lebanon for the building's construction - à la Solomon when he built the First Temple in Jerusalem. The bell tower was added by the Christian religious order of Alcántara, who took over the building after the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. In the 18th century, it was a hermitage dedicated to the Tránsito de Nuestra Señora (Our Lady's Transit, meaning Mary's assumption into heaven). During the war against Napoleon, the synagogue became a military barracks. In 1977, it was declared a national monument and it is now a museum.
Toledo is also known for its restaurants that offer gourmet food. Among
his specialties include the lamb roast or stew, as cuchifrito, and beans
with partridge or stewed partridge, the carcamusas, the crumbs, the
porridge Mancha and the tortilla to the lean. Two of the foods that have
brought fame to the city of Toledo are the Manchego cheese and.Mazapan, a
specialty of that is sold all over town.
Mazapan
store
It took us a full day to reserve seats at this restaurant For some time during the 16th century, Toledo served as the capital city of Castile, and the city flourished. However, soon enough the Spanish court was moved first to Valladolid and then to Madrid, thus letting the city's importance dwindle until the late 20th century, when it became the capital of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Nevertheless, the economic decline of the city helped to preserve its cultural and architectural heritage.
A low-angle shot of the brick-walled city A neatly etched metal shield
Among the more expensive souvenir items A beautifully etched medieval shield
El Alcázar (The Alcázar) is a fort founded in 1085. It was once the royal
residence of Carlos I. The Alcázar has been demolished and restored many
times, most recently during the Civil War. Franco had it rebuilt into a
military museum. In the past the Alcázar has been used as an army school,
as well as a prison. The Alcazar is located along the eastern border of
the old city, near the Plaza de Zocodover. It is famous for surviving a
70-day siege during the Spanish Civil War. The extensive damage from that
episode has been repaired.
The Alcazar of Toledo is one of the
most visible buildings from a distance. The Alcazar after sunset (right).
Monasterio de Santo Domingo El Antiguo (Santo Domingo El Antiguo
Monastery) is an 11th-century convent that now displays religious items
and early works by El Greco.
Museo de Santa Cruz. Originally a 16th century Spanish Renaissance
hospice, it is currently an art and sculpture museum. The outside of the
building is quite impressive in itself, and inside hangs El Greco’s last
known work, as well as works by Goya and Ribera, antique furniture,
Flemish tapestries, and artifacts from archeological digs throughout the
region.
Museo de Santa Cruz
Toledo differs from all other cities in that I have felt a certain
compelling spell – something like a medieval romance because of her
storied yesterdays…. so palpable, so apparent, with all its splendid
color. Around her rock the yellow Tagus crawls. For centuries through its
embattled entrances have come and gone races and peoples and
civilizations. The picture-pretty towers are unsurpassed; the view around
and from high elevations are superb and enchanting.
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