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Toledo

By Laura Ellis

When looking at areas around central Spain to visit, most importantly, at least in my opinion, is Toledo. Today, this is the capital city of the Castile-La-Mancha region, and is famed for its unique and historic culture as well as for the fact that is bordered on three sides by the river Tagus, making this ancient municipality almost an island. Furthermore, its proximity to Madrid, as well as good travels, links make it unmissable for a day trip.

The historic city of Toledo in fact dates back to the Bronze Age, and following which it became a centre of importance during the Roman era, and finally the most significant element must be its position as the capital of Spain, until the Moorish conquest of the 8th century. Due to its central position within mainland Spain, Toledo was the centre of many battles between Christians and the Muslims during periods of unrest, and was in fact eventually the first major city in the Muslim kingdom of Al-Andalus to fall into Christian control. This conquest was amongst the initial steps of the Kingdom of Leon-Castile in the Reconquista of Spain.

Following this significant period of history, the city of Toledo continued as a cultural centre, with its Arabic library one of the few remaining intact, and a team of translators was organised to transfer texts in Arabic or Hebrew to Spanish, as well as Spanish books to Latin, to stop these important artefacts and memories being forgotten.

During the 16th century, Toledo became the capital city of Castile, but the Spanish court soon moved to Valladolid, and then Madrid, leading to a decline in the economy of the area, until it became the capital of the autonomous region, Castile-La-Mancha.

Due to its title as a Historic-Artistic site (1940) as well as a World Heritage site (1987) it is clear to see that upon visiting this city, there are a wide range of things that one can do in order to discover more. Typical of Spain, religion plays a significant role with the Gothic Cathedral being amongst the most important elements of Toledo for tourists. Furthermore this houses the renowned ‘El Expolio’ by El Greco, demonstrating his significance in the history of the city. A museum celebrating his work can also be found in the centre, built as a reconstruction of his home in the 16th century, and houses several of his most important paintings.

The mix of cultures in Toledo is obvious through the prevalence of synagogues as well as churches, for example Santa Maria la Blanca, the oldest synagogue building in Europe, however somewhat ironically this is now owned by the Catholic Church. Also apparent is the Muslim influence, with many churches being build in the Mudejar (a mix of Christian and Muslim styles), an important example being the Iglesia de Santo Tome. The conversion of ‘El Cristo de la Luz’ is also significant as its origins were of a small mosque which was then converted into a church following the Reconquista.

Finally multiple castles and palaces indicate Toledo’s rich history at the centre of Spanish life. The Galiana Palace, built in the 13th century, marks an important stage in this city’s history with its Mudejar architecture, whilst the Alcazar fortress is an important place of military history, and marks the highest point of the city and tremendous view of the region.

As well as being architecturally significant, one must also note what else Toledo is famed for. For lovers of literature, Toledo marked an important point in the tale of Lazarillo de Tormes, and furthermore the food of this area is known through Spain. Marzipan and Manchego cheese are famous local delicacies, as well as dishes such as cuchifrito, a lamb stew, and carcamusas, beans with stewed partridge.

  1. Cultura - culture
  2. historia - history
  3. Museo - museum
  4. Musulman - Muslim
  5. cristiano - Christian
  6. Iglesia - church
  7. Mezquita - mosque
  8. Castillo - castle
  9. architectura - architecture
  10. batalla - battle


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