When putting together our (fairly last-minute) trip to Spain, we got excited about maybe doing some day trips out of Madrid. Not that Madrid wasn’t capable of holding our attention for a few days, but we always thought of this trip as our “Spanish Whitman’s Sampler”, so to speak. We wanted to take little bites out of a lot of places so we’d know what we want to explore in more depth on future trips. After a bit of research we chose Toledo as one of our bon-bons and, to make sure we got a good bite of the place, we decided to get a guide both to transport us and show us around.
It was an excellent choice.
Our guide, a lovely man named Paul that we found on Tours By Locals, picked us up at our hotel around 8:30 and drove us a little more than an hour down the road to Toledo. We began at the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, a very special place built between the 12th and 14th centuries. After a fire in 1250, it was rebuilt in 1260 by royal edict, “the largest and most beautiful synagogue in Europe.” In the 15th century, it was converted into a church and Renaissance reforms in 1554 added chapels and vaults. In the 19th century, it was used as a barracks and finally declared a national monument in 1930. The architecture is a unique example of mudejar art (created by Moorish architects for non-Islamic purposes) in Toledo, fusing Muslim techniques with castilian and nasrid influences. The octagonal pillars and the complex decoration with discs and pine cones — symbols of life — stand out. Surrounded by a wall and a garden of cypress trees, its design invites contemplation, both inside and out. Pictures don’t adequately capture the deep serenity and sense of sacred that infuses this space.
From there we visited the Synagogue of El Tránsito, built around 1357 and its Sephardic Museum. Considered the most beautiful and best conserved medieval synagogue in the world, the trustees aim to unveil the mantle of silence on Jewish culture in Spain, from its expulsion to today. Therefore, expository script does not end in 1492, but continues to present time, focusing on the exile and development of the Sephardic communities throughout the world. In structure the space is simple. Yet the elevation of the walls and the rich wood of the coffered ceiling with inlays of ivory and painted decoration make it sumptuous. What grabs the visitor is the “ataurique”, vegetal decoration of Arab creation, that densely covers the east wall. The women’s gallery is not only intact, but sumptuously decorated and filled with a multimedia collection of information and artifacts describing daily life. Attached to the main room is a museum with information and artifacts of the Jews from Ancient Orient through to recent archeological finds.
Wandering through the Jewish Quarter we were treated to the occasional porcelain tile embedded in the walkway or wall.
We finished with a visit to the Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo. We were there for several hours, and could have spent an entire day. It is one of three 13th-century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain and considered a masterpiece of the Gothic style in Spain. It’s huge; bigger than Notre Dame. It’s so much, in so many different styles that it’s hard to describe. The massive altarpiece of polychrome and golden wood is three panels in width and five rows high, staggered with two narrower panels at the end. It includes a lumina or transparente, a great rock crystal piece that captures the sunlight and beams it onto the altar at mass. Gloriously Baroque is a gilded confection of angels, Archangels, and solar rays. All around are small chapels (tombs, really) for many important people. There is a magnificent choir with amusingly carved wood chairs. In the Treasure Room we saw the Custodia of Toledo (also called Monstrance), a work of art made in two parts from different centuries. The smaller is made out of gold, with precious stones, and was property of Isabel the Catholic (15th century). After Isabel died the Cardinal Cisneros bought it, and made a bigger one to hold it. That one is made in gold and silver. In total it weighs 370Kg (816 Pounds). It holds the Eucharistic host during Corpus Christi Festivities. Every year, 60 days after Resurrection Sunday, the enormous Monstrance is carried around in the city of Toledo in procession.
Fantastic.
Most guidebooks say that Toledo is a day trip, but we don’t think that is nearly enough time to enjoy this historically multicultural city. We have plans to return and spend several days here.
