Toledo - famous for its Alcazar, El Greco and marzipan
- why not use our free guide to visit it?
Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, Toledo might be just
the place for you.
Toledo is one of the most exciting of Spanish cities, sited as
it is on a naturally fortified spot surrounded on three sides by a loop
in the River Tagus. Situated seventy miles south of Madrid, it was once
the capital of Spain until the Moors conquered Iberia in the eighth
century.
The old city is accessed across one of the two old bridges, the Puente
de Alcantara or the Puente de San Martin. Other monuments are the gothic
Cathedral and the dominating Alcazar (Arabic word for fortress) which
was almost destroyed in the Spanish Civil War and is now a museum.
Toledo has a distinctly medieval flavour today as one walks its streets,
browsing among the displayed articles of inlaid metalwork (jewellery,
miniature swords and the like) which reflect the centuries-old tradition
of iron-work for which the city was and still is renowned. One
particularly typical style of work is the inlaying of gold filigree in
the form of birds, flowers or geometric designs against a background of
jet black steel.
Despite its famed production of fine blades, Toledo was not an
especially warlike place in the middle ages, however. It was renowned
for religious tolerance, Christians, Jews and Muslims living in harmony
there unlike in many parts of Spain and leaving behind monuments to
their culture.
Probably the most famous inhabitant of Toledo is the painter El Greco,
who painted a brooding overview of the city. His famous painting The
Burial of the Count of Orgaz can be seen in the small church of Santo
Tome, and his former house, now a museum containing many of his works,
can be visited.
Other places of interest to visitors are:
- Sinagoga del Transito
- Museo de Santa Cruz
- Mezquito del Cristo de la Luz
- Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca
- Iglesia de San Juan de los Reyes
- Puerta del Sol
- Puerta del Cambron
- Puerta Nueva de Visagra
Toledo was a major cultural centre in the thirteenth century but went
into a slow decline after 1561 when the royal court was moved from there
to Madrid. In 1986 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and
it is still one of the places of central Spain which are a must for a
visit. As you roam the maze of streets in the historic centre, you may
like to fortify yourself with the most famous culinary speciality of
Toledo - mazapan or marzipan, made with ground almonds and sugar and
often moulded into stars, half moons or animals. Why not also bring away
a beautifully packed box of the sweets as a reminder of your visit to
Toledo?
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