Toledo
Spain
70 kilometers south of Madrid there is the city of Toledo, which was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1986. Toledo was the city of three cultures because Christians, Arabs and Jews lived together there for centuries. It is also known as the place where El Greco lived and painted in Spain.
It is necessary to visit Toledo on foot, with no hurries, get lost in its streets, always with an eye alert. You will need at least 3 days to visit the city, as Todledo is full of monuments and sites of interest. Due to lack of space I will only name 5 of them.
1.- Cathedral of Toledo
The cathedral of Toledo is one of the three 13th century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain and is considered to be the magnum opus of the Gothic style in Spain. It was begun in 1226 under the rule of Ferdinand III and the last Gothic contributions were made in the 15th century when, in 1493, the vaults of the central nave were finished during the time of the Catholic Monarchs.
2.- Town Hall
Across from the Cathedral is the Town Hall (Ayuntamiento), a beautiful building with a small park in front, planted with colorful flowers. The Town Hall building was designed by the famous architect Juan Herrera, who designed El Escorial. The building has the local tourist office, where one can get a map of the city.
3.- Museum of Santa Cruz
The Museum of Santa Cruz is the city museum and is located near the Zocodover Square. Inside are exhibits of the city history.
4.- Church of San Tome
This small church, Mudejar style, contains El Greco’s most famous painting, “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz”, painted in 1586 in a very large format (460 cm x 360 cm). This is a marvelous painting and one of El Greco's best, and it is considered one of the great art masterpieces of Spain.
5.- The Alcazar
The Alcazar is a big stone fort and palace on the highest point of Toledo. The site used to have a Roman palace in the 3rd century. The emperor Carlos V ordered the building of the Alcazar, to be used as his royal residence.