THE word labyrinthine could have been invented to describe the streets and alleys of Toledo. The main thoroughfares, often just narrow cobbled laneways, twist and turn and fork in two, one way going downhill the other upwards.
These in turn will also split or double back and cross another laneway or come to a dead end, leaving the casual wanderer lost and confused.
The twisting, narrow streets are not an accident of poor city planning, but deliberate design by the Toledo’s Muslim founders who intended to disorientate any invaders who managed to breach the impressive walls that surround this hilltop enclave.
For centuries Toledo was a multicultural melting pot in which Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in close proximity and interacted with respect and ease. The Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca was designed by Muslim architects to include Moorish-style arches and was built by Christian builders. It has five naves, which are more common in mosques than in synagogues, and 28 Toral pillars decorated with Kabbalistic symbols.
However, Jews in Spain were persecuted by the Catholic monarchs and driven out of the country in 1492 and the synagogue was converted into a church.
The history of Toledo’s Jews can be discovered at the Sinagoga del Transito built in 1355, which is now a museum with displays of religious artefacts and exhibitions on Spanish Jewish culture. It was also taken over by the Catholic Church but again the city’s multicultural history is evident in the intricately carved pine ceiling, engraved with verses from the Psalms and occasional Arabic inscriptions left by the Moorish builders.
The Monasaterio San Juan de los Reyes was established in the 1400s in the heart of Toledo’s Jewish quarter and effectively served notice of the intentions of the Catholic monarchs to show that there was only room for one religion in Spain.
Muslims didn’t fare any better under the Catholic monarchs and were driven from Spain along with the Jews in 1492.
Hanging from the walls of the church at San Juan de los Reyes are chains and manacles which once held Christian prisoners in the former Muslim stronghold of Granada, the last enclave of the Moors before they were defeated.
Although Toledo dates from the times of the Romans in the Iberian peninsula, it was conquered by the Moors in 711 and it still bears their imprint today. The Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz mosque dates from the 11th century. Like the nearby synagogues it was later converted into a Catholic church, although it retains Islamic features.
Toledo is synonymous with the painter El Greco (the Greek) and some of his most outstanding works are on display in the city’s Cathedral, surrounding churches and a modest museum.
The museum is located in what was mistakenly thought to be El Greco’s former home. It was actually not too far away, on the site of what is now a civic park and playground set closer to the ravine through which the the Tagus (Rio Tajo in Spanish), the Iberian Peninsula's longest river, loops around the hill on which Toledo sits.
The museum has period pieces from the 16th century and an exhibition of the life of El Greco, who was born Domenikos Theotokopoulos, from his birth in Crete, his life in Spain and a background to his highly individualistic painting style.
Many of El Greco’s paintings had a religious theme, but the elongated figures he painted and the dark pigments he used give his work a modernist feel.
The museum includes some excellent examples of his later work, including the Twelve Apostles and paintings by El Greco’s son and and other contemporaries.
One of El Greco’s most stunning pieces is The Burial of the Count of Orgatz, an altar piece in the Church of Santo Tomé. Many pay the €2.50 entry fee to just gaze at it.
The lower part depicts a funeral scene of mourners, including a self portrait of El Greco staring directly at the viewer, as Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine tend to the body of the deceased count.
The upper part of the painting, which seems to flow into ethereal swirls emanating from the worldly lower part, depicts the soul of the count being brought before a heavenly court.
Toledo’s cathedral (€8 entrance) is built in French gothic style and is the second biggest in Spain after Seville. It’s bell tower is the tallest in the country and, according to local legend, the last time the 18-tonne bell was rung it shattered the glass in the windows of the surrounding buildings.
Over the millennia the site has been home to a Roman temple, a Visigoth church and a mosque which was destroyed in 1085 when Alfonso VI conquered Toledo and it became a Christian site of worship once again.
The high altar stands at around 45 metres and is decorated in gold leaf, with inset statues depicting scenes from the New Testament. Eighty-eight pillars support the roof and the interior is given a coloured hew as light filters in through a rose stained glass window.
Located in the central nave is the coro (choir) where ornately carved chairs run around three sides depicting scenes from the Christian reconquest of Spain and the Old Testament. It boasts 10 separate organs whose pipes run up the walls and jut out overhead.
Just when you think the cathedral couldn’t be any more spectacular a diversion into the sacristy reveals a gallery of paintings by El Greco, Goya, Velazquez, Caravaggio and Titian.
GASTRONOMIC CAPITAL
TOLEDO has been designated Spain’s ‘Gastronomic Capital 2016’ and its numerous restaurants are highlighting locally sourced products and wines.
Alfileritos24 is a contemporary restaurant set in one of Toledo’s narrow, twisting streets (Calle Alfileritos). Its taster menu (€39) has eight dishes, including hare, salted cod, pork, all accompanied by rices, pulses, marinades and sauces and of course Manchego cheese (Toledo is the capital of La Mancha).
My meal there included a bottle of wine from Finca Loranque (a picture of El Greco on the label), a typical full-bodied Spanish red which goes well with the earthy flavours of the meal.
There are other, cheaper options at Alfileritos24, including a menu del dia (daily menu) which features dishes from the taster menu.
Down numerous steps at the foot of the hill on which the walled part of Toledo sits is Hacienda Del Cardenal (Paseo de Recaredo) which, as the name suggest, is the former residence of a cardinal dating from the 18th century.
While the setting is distinctly old-school – wooden beams across the ceiling and tiled floor – the menu combines tradition with a more experimental twist. Raw salmon skimmed into thin slices, tempura asparagus and delicately cooked red tuna cubes, again with accompanying vegetables, cepes and rices – plus more Manchego and another regional wine from Bodegas Volver.
Visit: http://www.spain.info/en/reportajes/toledo-capital-espanola-gastronomia-2016.html
FACTFILE
:: There are daily flights from Dublin to Madrid (Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Iberia) and flexibility on dates and taking a bit of time to search through options can deliver some really good bargains.
:: Taxis operate from outside the airport terminals but you can also take the Madrid Express shuttle bus which runs every 10 to 15 minutes to Atocha Train station and costs just €5.
:: From Atocha there is a regular train service to Toledo (€10.30) The train station is in the newer part of Toledo but a bus runs up to Plaza de Zocodover in the old city and there is taxi rank at the station (http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/)
:: For more information on Toledo visit: http://www.spain.info/en_IE/reportajes/un_dia_en_toledo.html
