Museums

The resistance of the Alc‡zar became a rallying point for the Fascists of Spain; the cry 'ÁEl Alc‡zar no se rinde!' (the Alc‡zar will never surrender!) echoed over Spain as a symbol of courage and a heroic fight against terrible odds. General Moscard—'s own young son was captured by the Republicans. They told him that if he did not surrender the Alc‡zar in ten minutes, his son would be shot. The boy was put on the phone to verify this...and his father replied 'then give your soul to God, shout ÁViva Espa–a!, and die like a patriot'. After bidding his son farewell, he told the boy's captors not to bother with the ten-minute warning: the Alcazar would never surrender. The Alc‡zar was eventually liberated by Franco's Army of Africa on a day which 'the streets of Toledo ran red with blood.'

Much of the Alc‡zar was laid waste during the war, but it has all been restored to its original state, with the exception of the rooms in which the refugees lived, up to Moscard—'s shell-pocked office still compete with the famous telephone. It also contains the Spanish Military Museum and a Museum of Knives and Swords.

Cathedral
Any lover of gold and glory will not walk away disappointed from Toledo's main cathedral. Work began in 1221, and the latest addition, the Transparente, built in 1732, making it one of the largest cathedrals in the Christian World. It is built in the Gothic style, all imposing stone and carved magnificence. I personally like eating a picnic lunch on a reasonably warm non-tourist season day on one of the benches facing the west front and the Gates of Mercy. Yet this is a cathedral whose greatest treasures are found inside, although the Clock Door, the Door of the Lions, the bell tower, and the stone carving are all worth looking at.

Once inside no visitor should miss the Sacristy, a miniature art gallery housing not only El Greco's 'Denuding of Christ' but other notable El Grecos and a smattering of Titian, Van Dyck, and Goya. Both the Choir, with its fascinating carved wooden stalls depicting the fall of Granada and alabaster figures of the Old Testament, and the Transparente's lovely Baroque alterpiece, are worth the entry fee. Tickets to every part of the cathedral can be bought in the shop across the street from the entrance, and they are worth every penny of the non-reducible five euros you will have to pay. The value is redeemed if only in the sight of the glistening High Altar Reredos, some of the most beautiful in Spain, and the jewel-heavy silver and gold 16th century Gothic monstrance, still carried through the streets of Toledo during the Corpus Christi celebrations. The cathedral dominates the city's skyline.

Iglesia Santo TomŽ
A small, otherwise unrenowned church in the Jewish quarter, this is a must-see because of the masterwork of art it contains. Don Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo was a devout 14th century nobleman who left a large part of his estate to the parish of Santo TomŽ, in which church he chose to be buried. At his funeral, a miracle occurred, in which the Saints Thomas and Augustine descended from Heaven to personally escort the Lord Orgaz's soul to its new home, with the historical words 'Such is the reward for those who serve God and his Saints'. However, the saintly man's generosity consisted of a continuing bequest that his one-time tenants were required to fulfill yearly by a donation of two sheep, 16 chickens, wine, firewood, and money. Rebellious Toledans of several hundred years later refused to pay in 1564 and were taken to court by Friar Andres Nu–ez Madrid, and lost. With the newfound funds, and after the miracle of the burial was officially recognized in 1583, the victorious Friar Andres celebrated by hiring the greatest living painter in Toledo at the time, Domenikos Theotokopolus (aka El Greco), to commemorate the event. The resulting work 'The Burial of the Lord of Orgaz', is widely considered to be his masterpiece, and one of the heights of Renaissance painting. On a sidebar, note the thin, bearded man and the young page that look directly out at the audience. These two are widely believed to be a self-portrait of El Greco and his son Jorge Manuel.

Sinagogo El Tr‡nsito
The elaborate MudŽjar interior of this 14th century mosque is concealed by its remarkably plain facade. It was commissioned by Samuel Ha-Leví, the Jewish treasurer to King Pedro the Cruel, and is most notable for its seemingly effortless blend of Islamic, Gothic, and Hebrew artistic traditions. An excellent example is seen in the geometric motifs of the frieze in the prayer hall. Adjoining the synagogue is the Jewish museum, worth seeing for anyone interested in the hundreds of years of religious tolerance Toledo was renowned for. See Judaism in Toledo.

Sephardic Museum
Founded in 1964 with the intent of telling the story of the Jews of Spain and their donation to European and Spanish culture, the Museum is located inside the El Tr‡nsito synagogue. The museum has compiled several different collections that illustrate the Jewish presence in Spain, prior to their expulsion in 1492. The Museum's hours Tuesday through Saturday are 10 AM through 2 PM and 4 PM through 9 PM. It is closed on Mondays and is free on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. Otherwise, regular entrance is 2.40 Euros and reduced entrance is 1.20 Euros. The Spanish speaker will find the official site. of the Toledo Sephardic Museum extremely useful. It contains descriptions of the Museum's contents, its location, hours, and a detailed history of the Jews of Spain. Even the hopeless American with no knowledge of Spanish would benefit from a visit as the site is heavily loaded with pictures.

Santa Mar’a La Blanca
Oldest and grandest of the city's eight original synagogues, this is one of the two left standing and dates back to the 12th century. Note the MudŽjar arches, representative of Moorish influence (the Jews relied on Arab craftsmen). The 1391 pogrom that marked the turning point of Jewish treatment after years of religious tolerance took place on this spot.

San Juan de Los Reyes
This monastery was commissioned by los Reyes Cat—licos, Isabel and Ferdinand, in honor of their 1476 victory over the Portuguese at Toro, and was originally intended to be their burial place. It contains a unique Gothic cloister with a lovely and colorful MudŽjar ceiling. It was built mainly by the imaginative and exuberant Juan Guas, one of the greatest architects of the Isabelline, or Gothic, plateresque, style. He considered it his masterpiece and requested to be buried there. Symbols of the Reyes Cat—licos are everywhere, Y for Isabel and F for Fernando worked into much of the decoration, making the monastery a blatant balance between religion and politics. There is also an exceptional cloister carved in stone that appears almost as filigree, and a stairway designed by Covarrubias. A must-visit for the architecturally inclined.

Casa-Museo El Greco
This is a tourist trap and magnet combined. This house was once owned by Samuel Lev’, and while El Greco did once live in a house owned by that man, there is absolutely no historical evidence to say that it is this one. The interior was done up in the late 19th century to resemble a 'typical' house of El Greco's time. However, the museum is worth noting, if only because it contains El Greco's celebrated 'View and Plan of Toledo' and his 'Christ and the Apostles'. The chapel below also contains a fine MudŽjar ceiling and a collection of art by painters of the Toledan school, including some students of El Greco.

Cristo de La Luz
This tenth century mosque is the only building in Toledo from before the Reconquest that has survived. Cristo de la Luz is the city's last remaining mosque, with rows of horseshoe arches and columns that bring to mind a tiny C—rdoba. Outside the front gate, a rather nondescript white stone stands out from the gray and trampled cobbles around it. The story goes that this mosque was once a Visigothic shrine, under king Atanagildo. When the Moors took the city in AD 712, a small statue of Christ in a wall niche here was bricked over without blowing out its accompanying lamp, to avoid disrespecting the Christian God. The building was rebuilt as a mosque and the alcove forgotten. In 1085 AD, as the victorious Catholic Spaniards entered the city, the horse of the conquering king Alfonso VI (although some versions tell it as the horse of El Cid) reportedly kneeled down at the spot marked by the white stone, and would not be moved. The mosque was examined, and the walled up niche discovered. When the bricks were removed, it was seen that the lamp was still burning, more than three hundred years later. The miracle was recognized and according to legend the first Mass in the city was promptly held at that spot. The mosque is charmingly simple, lacking the ostentation that marks much of Spanish architecture, and is worth seeing as a breath of fresh air.

San Rom‡n
This church, built early 13th century, contains red-and-white striped horseshoe Moorish arches reminiscent of those in the C—rdoba Mosque. The building is now a Visigothic museum.

Plaza de Zocodover
The main plaza of Toledo is named after the market held here in Moorish times. It is still the hub of Toledan activity, branching out onto the Calle del Comercio and generously peopled with tourist shops and cafŽs. Expect to hear very little Spanish spoken here: the place is overrun by tourists even in off season.

Hospital de Tavera
Once a hospital, then the residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli and later of Lerma, today it is a museum with a collection of antique furnishings, a 17th century work by JosŽ Ribera, twenty El Greco paintings and an altar designed by the same.

Hospital de Santa Cruz
This is one of the more notable museums in Toledo, located directly behind the Alcazar. Note the outstanding Renaissance architectural features, such as the main doorway, the staircase, and the cloister. The museum is notable for its medieval and Renaissance tapestries, paintings, and sculptures, as well as several classic works by El Greco including 'The Assumption', one of his last works. Also of note is the display of typical Toledan crafts: armor and damascened swords. On the ground floor, look for the famous figure of Christ that was walled up in the San Cristo de la Luz mosque.

Puerta Del Sol
This is thought to be the finest Mudejar style gate in Spain. The medallion above the horseshoe arch depicts the ordination of the Visigothic Saint Idelfonso, Toledo's patron saint. The name of the gate comes from the sun and the moon that were once painted on either side of this medallion.

Puerta de Bisagra
The gate through which the conquering Alfonso VI and El Cid entered the city in 1085, it is the last gateway in the city to still have its original 10th century military architecture. The name appears to come from the Arabic Bab-sagra, or the gate looking out on the Sagra plain.

Puente de Alc‡ntara
Built by the Romans and improved and renamed by the Arabs, the Al-Qantara bridge stands as a monument to architecture. More than a thousand years later, it is still sturdy enough to be regularly used. The walk down from the city through the wall is also fun for those with imagination and a sense of adventure. And the view on the other side of the River Tagus is worth climbing for.

Castillo San Servando
Built by the king Alfonso VI as a monastery in honor of the saints Servando and Germano in 1088, because of its position near the Alcantara Bridge it was later transformed into a fortress. It is said that El Cid spent the night here before going before the king to ask for revenge against the princes of Carri—n for the shame they had done his daughters. It was also a holding of the Knights Templar for a time. Today it is the city's premier youth hostel.

Puente de San Mart’n
An interesting story lies behind this bridge. It reportedly existed from Arab times, but suffered great damage from the battles that took place nearby, and finally collapsed in the floods of 1203. Accordingly, Archbishop Tenorio decided to completely rebuild it. Almost at the moment of its completion the engineer responsible for the project realized he had made some errors in his calculations, and that as soon as the scaffolding was taken away it would almost certainly collapse. Distraught, he told his wife the whole horrifying tale. Late that night, the lady stole out, set fire to the bridge, and thus gave her husband a chance to start over and build the thing so stoutly that it is still as good as new.

NOTE: we highly recommend that all visitors call and make sure of hours and prices before leaving the hotel, as these may change on short notice and Toledo Spain-info is not responsible.