Toledo

An hour drive from Madrid, you reach to Toledo; a picturesque, historical, mystical town, an important city to all rulers of these lands since Roman times. The capital of the Visigoths, the first town conquered by Arabs, today’s capital of Castilla La Mancha state of Spain, the birth places of Don Quijote. The city is located on a hill aprox. six hundred above sea level and surrounded by Tajo river that make it look like an island at first site. Its narrow steep roads, famous Gothic Cathedral, the mosque dating from Arab rule, the old town of Toledo listed as Unesco heritage site attracts visitors at all times of the year.

Some important dates regarding the history of Al Andaluz: 1086, the year when Alfonso the 6th conquered the city marks the beginning of the Reconquista, that means the begging of the end of the 750 years of Arab rule. Four hundred years after that in 1492 Granada would fall and the whole Iberian peninsula would then be again the land of the Catholic kings.

The main attraction in Toledo, the cathedral was built during the reign of the Catholic Kings and its style was highly influenced by the French Gothic. Famous painter El Greco, who died here in Toledo has two paintings that are exhibited inside the cathedral: El Expolio and Apostoles. You may also visit El Greco Museum and Santo tome church to see his painting ‘The death of Count Orgaz’. Toledo cathedral also has the painting of an important Spanish painter, Goya, his painting ‘El prendimiento de Cristo’, ’The taking of Christ’ from year 1798 was made especially for this cathedral.

Toledo is also important to Sefardis, the jewish community who had its golden époque during the reign of the Arab rule, the Sefardi Museum and the synagogue can be visited, like the ones in Córdoba they are of significant importance to Jewish.