“This is not the Toledo I remember, “ She said.
“This is the first one”
“Oh…..well that makes sense”
- A conversation I had with Colleen today
We traveled by train south of Madrid today. One of the most pleasurable things about travel in Europe is the train. You can take a bus or metro right to the station in the middle of the city. You select your destination and go to your platform just like a Harry Potter movie, but no running into walls. People are busy going all over the continent. It is buzzing and alive with activity.
You find your seat on a comfortable, clean car and enjoy the pleasure of watching the countryside roll past you. It is a visceral enjoyment and something we truly lack in the USA.
We traveled South to the city of Toledo today. Toledo is a 2500 year old city that used to be the capital of Spain. It is rich with history of Christian, Moorish, and Jewish heritage. It was a Roman transportation hub. After the “Eternal” empire fell, it became a Visigoths capital. In 711 AD, the Moors occupied it. The city was the main target of the Christian forces during the Reconquista.
When the Moors were driven out in 1085 it became the capital Spain until the 1500's . Then Phillip II decided he wanted to move the capital to Madrid. Toledo became a backwater. Although it is still the ‘Spiritual’ capital of Spain the medieval structures were mothballed. This was a blessing because they remain today as a delightful excursion of old twisting cobblestone alleys that have an air of mysticism and deep history.
By far the highlight of the visit was the Toledo Cathedral. This huge structure was built in 1226 on the remains of a Moorish Mosque. It took 250 years to complete. With it’s ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, soaring ceilings and stained glass, it is a gorgeous example of classic Gothic architecture.
We have had the pleasure of seeing many great cathedrals in our travels, but this one surely is one of the finest. It is filled with priceless treasures.
Here are a few -
This is the high altar. It is 80 feet tall and took the work of 27 Flemish, French, and local artists 7 years to complete with medieval tools. It is dazzling intricate work of wood and gold that tells the story of Christ. The cross at the top is 9 feet tall! All you can do is stare at it in wonder. We have never seen anything like it before.
Below is the Choir. It is where the VIP’s would worship. You are greeted by a statue of the Virgin Mary and child that is 700 years old. It is ringed by stone sculptures of the entire genealogy of Christ from Adam to Mary. Luxuriant wood carvings are on every seat showing victorious Christian armies battling the Moors. It is a complex, intricate, yet harmonious space.
Then you walk around the back of the high altar and encounter the ‘Tranparente’.
This is a towering 3d sculpture bursting with statues in a riot of activity. It is a multimedia extravaganza unique to this cathedral. It is bathed in natural light from a hole cut in the ceiling. It is a Baroque masterpiece that is unrivaled in it’s beauty and complexity. The round frisbee like structures you are seeing hanging are the actual hats of Cardinals that have been buried here. They are left there until they rot off.
Continue a walk down the nave and you find paintings by El Greco and other masters.
Then, at the end you find ‘The Monstrance’. This is a 10 foot tall tower that weighs 430 pounds. It is ceremonial and meant to carry the communion host in parades through the city during high holy weeks. It was built in 1517 and features more than 250 individual statuettes, 5,000 pieces, and 12, 500 screws. It is encrusted with diamonds, emeralds and 400 pounds of gold-plated silver.
It is easy to understand why Toledo today claims, with considerable authority, to be the ‘Spiritual Capiital’ of Spain.
Who could possibly compete for the title against such a temple of artistic wonders?
The sun came out and it grew warmer.
We walked the back alleys of Toledo before returning home. Tomorrow we have an appointment with Picasso.
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