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Toledo: Living in the Past

By Jerome Richard

Toledo is about 43 miles and 500 years from Madrid. A more modern town has grown up around it, but looking up at the old walls from the street below is to begin a journey back to the 16^th century, and earlier.

At first, you don’t even notice it. You arrive by bus (faster than the train) or car on an ordinary main street. What appears at first to be an ancient Roman coliseum, disappoints as an undistinguished bull ring. The town appears flat and unassuming. If you park near the tourist office you will be by a park with stands that sell better than you probably expect sandwiches, and it may not be until you sit down to eat one that you glance up and see the ancient wall guarding the city that was important to four different civilizations.

Pick up a map and a list of principal monuments at the tourist office and then enter a time warp as you pass through the Puerta Nueva de Bisagra which was enlarged and reconstructed in 1550 and called “new” because the nearby Old Gate of Bisagra was constructed in the 10^th century. A moderately steep path takes you into the heart of Toledo. (A little farther west along the street that fronts the wall a six-stage escalator has recently been added, but it lacks the magic of entering by the gate.)   

Narrow, winding streets lead you to a pleasant plaza. The only distractions are cars, which really should not be allowed in these streets, and a McDonald’s which tries to blend in with the surrounding medieval architecture but whose golden arch makes it stick out like a celebrity who forgot to remove his dark glasses.

Toledo was once famous for its production of armor, particularly swords, and you can find reproductions in the souvenir shops. There is still one authentic sword-making factory in the town. The local candy is marzipan and many shops throughout town sell versions of it.

There was already a town there when the Romans conquered it in 193 BC and made it the capital of the province of Carpentia. It was taken by the Visigoths in the 6^th century, and by the Moors two hundred years later. Spanish Catholics conquered it in 1085 and it was the capital of Castille until Madrid was established as the country’s capital in 1560.

The wall was started by the Visigoths and completed by the Moors and Christians. When you look down on the surrounding countryside from any point on the city’s ramparts, you see why it was so strategic. Old Toledo is built on a 2,400 foot high promontory in a bend in the Tagus River. The river makes a natural moat that protects the city on three sides; the wall is needed on only one side. From almost any spot on the city’s perimeter you can see the flat land stretching to the horizon in every direction. A sneak attack was impossible. (These plains, incidentally, once dotted with windmills, was Don Quixote country.)

The Roman occupation was pretty much obliterated by the Visigoths, but the most prominent building in the city, the Alcazar, is built over the ruins of a Praetorian palace. Now a military academy, it was the scene of a two month siege during the Spanish Civil War. Now it exalts the reign of the Franco dictatorship and for that reason is often spurned, especially by Spain’s younger generation.

There was a Golden Age in Spain under the Moors. Muslims joined the Christians and Jews who were already there, and they all lived in harmony. This period, which nurtured the arts and sciences, continued in the early years of the revived Christian reign, but eventually tolerance gave way to fanaticism. The new rulers converted not only some of the residents (others were killed or expelled), but many of the buildings as well. Thus you can find a Mosque of El Cristo de la Luz and a Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca; the present names seem to flaunt the change in religion. Neither of those buildings is architecturally significant, though the former Mosque is the oldest intact building in the city. The truly spectacular edifices, like the Alcazar, were built after the 11^th century. Much of the architecture is in a style called mudejar, a combination of Spanish and Moorish influences.

Toledo’s cathedral is one of the most imposing in Spain and a superb example of gothic architecture. Construction began in 1226 and concluded in 1493. The Cathedral (it has no other name) contains five naves and a double apse with radiating chapels. It contains much art of the period, and the huge cross is said to be made from Cathedral gold brought back from the New World by Columbus.

Toledo was home to the great Spanish painter born on Crete and called El Greco. Some of his work is in the Cathedral, but there is more in his house and the adjacent museum on the edge of the old Jewish Quarter. In fact, there are El Greco’s all over Toledo. He is buried in the Monastery of Santo Domingo El Antigua. The altarpiece for its church and three of his canvases are on display there.

Next to El Greco’s house is the Sinagoga del Transito which houses the Museo Sefardi with artifacts from the time of the Jewish community. The building was constructed in 1366, during the reign of a succession of tolerant Christian rulers who presided like the Moors before them over a cosmopolitan city in which Christians, Moslems, and Jews all thrived.

What is striking about old Toledo, however, is not a few significant buildings but the entire town. Because the city declined in importance as Madrid ascended, it is somewhat frozen in its 16^th century appearance. The narrow, twisted streets are the same ones trod long ago by Moors and trampled by cattle herders. Even the predominant brown tones of the city suggest the rough woolen clothing characteristic of the Middle Ages. Yet, people live in these houses and mingle with the tourists, making it a living museum. In fact, the entire town has been declared a National Monument. It is a place to get lost in time, as well as geography.

For more information: http://www.spaintour.com/toledo.htm

The Spanish Tips

There is much less English spoken in Spain than in other western European countries. Even people working in service industries such as restaurants and train stations are unlikely to speak English, though they are almost uniformly friendly and eager to be helpful. So, brush up on basic Spanish phrases and bring along a good, small dictionary.

Spanish workers in service industries, including waitpersons in restaurants and taxi drivers, are relatively well-paid and do not rely on tips. Many people, especially Americans, tip anyway, but 10% is considered generous.

Very few Spanish women, especially those younger than fifty, wear skirts. Slacks and jeans are common even in formal situations.

A Eurailpass, which should be purchased before you go, saves money, but there are unexpected surcharges for the AVE (world’s fastest train) and for seat reservations which are obligatory on many lines.

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