Toledo (
Latin:
Toletum,
Arabic طليطلة) is a
municipality located in central
Spain, 70
km south of
Madrid. It is the
capital of the
province of
Toledo and of the
autonomous community of
Castile-La Mancha. It was declared a
World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage as one of the former capitals of the
Spanish Empire and place of coexistence of
Christian,
Jewish and
Moorish cultures. Many
famous people and artists were born or lived in Toledo, including
Al-Zarqali,
Garcilaso de la Vega,
Eleanor of Toledo,
Alfonso X and
El Greco. It was also the place of important historic events such as the
Visigothic Councils of Toledo. , the city has a population of 78,618 and an area of 232.1 km
2 (89.59 square miles).
History
thumb|left|110px|Puerta del Sol.Having been populated since the
Bronze Age, Toledo (
Toletum in Latin) gained relevance during
Roman times, being a main commercial and administrative center in the
roman province of
Tarraconensis. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Toledo served as the capital city of
Visigothic Spain, beginning with
Liuvigild (Leovigild), and was the capital of Spain until the
Moors conquered Iberia in the 8th century.
Under the
Caliphate of Cordoba, Toledo enjoyed a golden age. This extensive period is known as
La Convivencia, i.e. the co-existence of
Jews,
Christians, and
Muslims. Under Arab rule, Toledo was called
Tulaytulah (
Arabic طليطلة, academically
transliterated ). After the fall of the Caliphate, Toledo was the capital city of one of the richest
Taifa Muslim kingdoms of
Al-Andalus, and, because of its central location in the Iberian Peninsula, Toledo took a central position in the struggles between the Muslim and Christian rulers of northern Spain.
thumb|left|220px|Remains of Roman circus at Toledo.On
May 25,
1085 Alfonso VI of Castile took Toledo and established direct personal control over the Moorish city from which he had been exacting tribute, and ending the mediaeval
Taifa's
Kingdom of Toledo. This was the first concrete step taken by the combined kingdom of Leon-Castile in the
Reconquista by Christian forces. After castilian conquest Toledo remained as a main cultural center; its Arab libraries weren't savaged, and a tag-team translation center was established, in which books in Arabic would be translated from Arabic or Hebrew to Spanish by Arab and Jewish scholars, and from Spanish to Latin by castilian scholars, thus letting the old-lost knowledge spread through Christian Europe again. For some time during the 16th century, Toledo served as the capital city of
Castile, and the city flourished. However, soon enough the Spanish court was moved first to
Valladolid and then to
Madrid, thus letting the city's relevance dwindle till the
late 20th century, when it was established as the capital city of the autonomous community of
Castile-La Mancha. Nevertheless, the economic decline of the city helped to preseve its cultural and architectural patrimony. Nowadays, because of its rich heritage, Toledo is one of Spain's foremost cities, receiving thousands of visitors yearly.
Toledo's
Alcázar (Arabicized Latin word for palace-castle) became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a
military academy. At the outbreak of the
Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously
besieged by
Republican forces.
Arts and culture
Toledo reached its zenith in the era of
Islamic Caliphate. Historian
P. de Gayangos writes:
The Muslim scientists of this age were unrivaled in the world. Perhaps among their greatest feats were the famous waterlocks of Toledo.
thumb|left|A vista de Toledo: the city of Toledo as depicted in the Codex Vigilanus in 976.The old city is located on a mountaintop with a 150 degrees view, surrounded on three sides by a bend in the
Tagus River, and contains many historical sites, including the
Alcázar, the cathedral (the
primate church of Spain), and the Zocodover, a central market place.
From the
4th century to the 16th century about thirty
synods were held at Toledo. The earliest, directed against
Priscillian, assembled in 400. At the synod of 589 the Visigothic King
Reccared declared his conversion from
Arianism; the synod of 633 decreed uniformity of liturgy throughout the Visigothic kingdom and took stringent measures against baptized Jews who had relapsed into their former faith. The council of 681 assured to the
archbishop of Toledo the
primacy of Spain. At
Guadamur, very close to Toledo, was dug in 1858 the
Treasure of Guarrazar, the best example of
Visigothic art in Spain.
thumb|left|Another vista de Toledo: the [[View of Toledo by resident
El Greco circa 1600.]]
As nearly one hundred early canons of Toledo found a place in the
Decretum Gratiani, they exerted an important influence on the development of
ecclesiastical law. The synod of 1565–1566 concerned itself with the execution of the decrees of the
Council of Trent; and the last council held at Toledo, 1582–1583, was guided in detail by
Philip II.
Toledo was famed for
religious tolerance and had large communities of Muslims and Jews until they were expelled from Spain in 1492 (Jews) and 1502 (Muslims). Today's city contains the religious monuments the
Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, the
Synagogue of El Transito,
Mosque of Cristo de la Luz and the
church of San Sebastián dating from before the expulsion, still maintained in good condition. Among
Ladino-speaking
Sephardi Jews, in their various diasporas, the
family name Toledano is still prevalent—indicating an ancestry traced back to this city (the name is also attested among non-Jews in various
Spanish-speaking countries).
In the 13th century, Toledo was a major cultural center under the guidance of
Alfonso X, called "El Sabio" ("the Wise") for his love of learning. The
program of translations, begun under Archbishop
Raymond of Toledo, continued to bring vast stores of knowledge to Europe by rendering great academic and philosophical works in Arabic into Latin. The
Palacio de Galiana, built in the
Mudéjar style, is one of the monuments that remain from that period.
The
Cathedral of Toledo (
Catedral de Toledo) was built between 1226-1493 and modeled after the
Bourges Cathedral, though it also combines some characteristics of the
Mudejar style. It is remarkable for its incorporation of light and features the
Baroque altar called
El Transparente, several stories high, with fantastic figures of stucco, paintings, bronze castings, and multiple colors of marble, a masterpiece of
medieval mixed media by
Narciso Tomé topped by the daily effect for just a few minutes of a shaft of light from which this feature of the cathedral derives its name. Two notable bridges secured access to Toledo across the Tajo, the
Puente de Alcántara and the later built
Puente de San Martín.
The
Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes is a
Franciscan monastery, built 1477-1504, in a remarkable combination of Gothic-Spanish-Flemish style with
Mudéjar ornamentation.
Toledo was home to
El Greco for the latter part of his life, and is the subject of some of his most famous paintings, including
The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, exhibited in the Church of Santo Tomé.
Toledo was famed for its production of
iron and especially of
swords and the city is still a center for the manufacture of knives and other steel implements.
When
Philip II moved the
royal court from Toledo to
Madrid in 1561, the old city went into a slow decline from which it never recovered.
The
marzipan of Toledo is considered one of its finest food products.
Demography
Gallery
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Toledo is
twinned with:
See also
