CATHEDRAL OF TOLÉDO....and more

With two layers of castle walls, covered in gargoyles and crests, the whole of the historic area of Tolédo remains mainly intact - due mostly to the Catholic faith - invaders were always careful not to destroy this hallowed ground! Some cities have an old town, but all of this mountaintop city is a historic site. Apart from the Alcázar, Tolédo has survived the Visigoths, the Moors, the Christians and the Spanish Civil War!
The city is popular with day trippers - it’s less than 80 km from Madrid, but to appreciate it properly and to see sights other than the cathedral (although it is magnificent), stay a while - we’re happy that we did! At night it has a romantic feel and a haunting glory....and there’s nothing like a hike down by the River Tajo and the gorge, to realize the height of this fortified city.
As soon as possible we did our “usual” free walking tour - this one led by “Sam” - a native of the city, and a historian with a quirky sense of humour and a lot of opinions! Our group was eclectic....along with us 2 Canadians, it included people from Italy, Croatia, Brussels, Germany, England, the U.S.....and California (another country?!). Sam led us through what is truly a labyrinth of streets - in most places they’d be called alleys...but I guess they’re streets if cars go down them - and they do....while pedestrians scurry to find a doorway to step into!
As always, we learned a lot from our guide - for example - the legend about the Church of Light. Once there was an old mosque where the King’s horse knelt down - spontaneously - at the gate. King Alfonso XVI and his men explored the Mosque and found a candle, close to a cross, which was said to have been burning for centuries....and so he believed the mosque should be taken and used as a Christian church! Sam did tell us something that was true about this old building - in the year 2000, when some old houses around this mosque/church were being demolished, a Roman road was found underneath the building....work on its excavation still continues.
We learned that the often touted, unique cultural synthesis of Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities peacefully coexisting, is a myth - created in the 20th century. Jews were actually expelled in 1492 and Judaism became illegal. We also learned that there used to be over 40 convents and monasteries - now there are only 10.....today many of them sell delicious sweets.
Apart from learning many facts, we visited plazas, saw lovely buildings and look-out points with amazing views. Sam loves his home-town...but is quite sad that the Medina (old city) which used to have a dense population of 85,000, now has only 10,000 residents ....in addition, 1500 of its buildings are empty. Tolédo is over 3,000 years old, and for a scant few years around 1500 it was considered the centre of the world. Afterwards It declined steadily until rediscovered by Romantics in the 19th century....together with Sam, we’re very happy that it was!
Santa Iglesia - Tolédo’s Gothic Cathedral is the wealthiest in all of Spain - with more than 20 paintings by El Greco in its possession - plus a few others by well known artists.....Titian, Van Dyke & Caravaggio to name a few! There’s also the Monstrance - used for displaying and keeping the host in the Catholic religion....actually there are two - the smaller one fits inside the larger. The smaller, portable one, belonged to Queen Isabella in the late 1400s - it was bought in 1505 by the Archbishop of Tolédo. The larger one which was commissioned in 1515, is made of the finest silver and gold, is covered with precious gems...and it’s over 10 feet tall and weighs 350 lbs (160 kgs!)
The cathedral itself is a tough one to describe.....all visitors are provided with an audio guide and a map when the entrance fee is paid - at €10 it’s a bargain....be prepared to spend some time there!
Started in the 13th century, it was built in the French Gothic style - although it’s wider than was usual - it has 5 naves - in order to cover the whole area of the former mosque. White limestone was used from a nearby quarry. The cathedral is 390 ft in length, 194 ft in width and 146 ft high. It has only 1 tower, which is currently wrapped and under renovation, so although it’s still possible to go up to the bell-tower, at the movement there are no views, even from the top (301 ft).....we gave it a miss.
With an outstanding main chapel and an extravagant Gothic altarpiece, there are many other chapels that line the sides of the cathedral. One wall has an usual “giant” St. Christopher, painted on it. Carrying the child-Christ on his shoulder, this painting was restored from an earlier one in 1638.
Other parts of the cathedral which deserve a special mention (in our opinion) are The Chapter House (with a beautiful freeze, painted in 1510), the double tiered choir stalls and the Baroque altarpiece called El Transparente. There’s a unique light which is provided by a large skylight high above this alter. There’s also some very beautiful stained glass windows in this cathedral - the oldest one, The Rose Window, dates back to the 15th century.
Finally, the most difficult of all to describe is The Sacristy - which exhibits major works of art from the cathedral’s collection. The barrel ceiling is covered in beautiful frescos - and the walls are covered with paintings by some of the great masters. On display at the moment are 15 El Grecos, including The Disrobing of Christ - which is on the high alter....the exact place for which it was commissioned and intended. There are also works by Goya, Van Dyck, Bellini, Vélazquez and Caravaggio.
One last mention is the cloister - a peaceful, place with old wall frescos and the small chapel of San Blas. Completed towards the end of the 1300s it has the tomb of Archbishop Tenorio, who was responsible for much of the early work on this cathedral. It also has ancient wall frescos and stars on the ceiling.
One day, taking a break from the art and history of the city, we walked down to the gorge and the river, crossing over the Alcántara bridge.......it’s a great way to get a perspective on the strategic position of Tolédo. We saw the fortified towers on both sides of the bridge, most recently refurbished in the 16th century - but built by the Romans in the 2nd century. The translation of the inscription on the central archway reads “I have built a bridge which will last forever,” a testament to its strength!
The bridge is now pedestrianized....a peaceful and lovely way to cross over the river and see the gorge.
On a hillside on the other side of the river stands an old castle - El Castillo de San Servando - now used as a youth hostel. We walked alongside the river to reach another bridge - St. Martin’s. This late 14th century bridge does allow cars, so walking across it was challenging as we re-entered the city and the hiked back up the cobbled streets and home, having logged the equivalent of 22 flights of stairs in addition to the many kms walked!
After a brief rest and some sustenance, we found a perfect roof-top patio and watched the sun go down from the 5th floor of the Carlos V hotel. With 360 degree views - one full side almost touches the Alcázar.....we picked the one that looked out over the cathedral, churches and the rooftops of Tolédo....memorable!