Top five Toledo
Toledo is known as the City of Three Faiths .In the Middle Ages it was a melting pot of Christian, Moslem and Jewish cultures.
After the Reconquista in 1492, the Moors from Morocco who had occupied large parts of Spain for hundreds of years, were ejected. The Inquisition followed and Jews and Moslems left the city.
Most of the sites in the city today celebrate its Catholic heritage and it’s military victories .Toledo became known for its sword making producing some of the best quality weaponry in Europe. Replicas are popular souvenirs today
Here are our top five sites to visit in Toledo.
1.Toledo Cathedral:
This is one of the grandest cathedrals in Spain and reflects its history as the spiritual heart of the Spanish church.The first stone of this huge structure was laid in 1226 and construction lasted three centuries with the completion of the last vailts in 1493.The long period of construction explains the cathedral’s mixture of styles – from pure Gtench gothic to its Mudejar decorative interior.
Highlights include a group of religious paintings by El Greco in the Sacristy including the Denuding of Christ.
The High Altar is one of the most beuautiful in Spain and in the Choir,the carvings on the wooden lower stalls depict the fall of Granada.
2. Synogogues:
Before the inquisition Toledo had a thriving Jewish quarter. Today you can visit two surviving synagogues although they are no longer in use .The Synogogue of El Transito houses a historical museum on the Sephardic Jews who lived here.
The nearby Synogogue of Santa Maria La Blanca was constructed in the 13th century and has a beautiful blend of Mudejar and Nazari architecture . Five naves are divided by ancient horseshoe arches.
3. El Greco Museum:
The El Greco museum is housed in a recreated 16th century Toledo house set in a beautiful garden in the old Jewish quarter of the city where he lived .The museum houses an exquisite selection of portraits including a striking group on the Apostles . El Greco was known for the vivid use of colour in his work witnessed by the extraordinary works on display here.
4. Alcazar:
Toledo was once a Moslem city when Moorish leaders erected a giant fortress on the top of a hill here overlooking the river . The city spread out on the slopes around it. The Alcazar is still here today and is home to a military museum reflecting a strong military heritage.
5. Mesquita:
Very little of the Moslem past remains in the narrow warren of streets and lanes which is Toledo today . The Taller del Moro museum exhibits architectural and design motifs from Toledo’s Moslem past.Mezquita de La Tourerias is an 11th century mosque.
Destination – Spain
