Toledo was not in my list of must-see places. My dad, who is also an architect, convinced me to go there, see the architecture and spend at least a day there. If the daddy says you have to, then I have to go! The only regret I have is not spending enough time in Toledo. It is only 70 km south of Madrid which is half an hour by train and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. The old city is located on a mountaintop with a 150 degree view, surrounded on three sides by a bend in the Tagus River, as seen on above photo.

Toledo was once the Spanish capital under the Visigoths from 567 to 711. The arrival of the Arabs in the 8th century, together with the presence of Christians and Jews, made Toledo the “city of the three cultures”. The way that Christians, Arabs and Jews lived side by side for centuries has been reflected in the architecture.

It is full of many charming narrow, winding streets which are almost like a labyrinth that you wouldn’t mind getting lost in it.

One of the most outstanding buildings in the city is the Cathedral, considered one of the high points of Gothic art. The construction of this monumental building was not finished until the 15th century. The exterior is topped by the two cathedral towers, one of them in flamboyant Gothic style and the other in Gothic-Renaissance. Inside, the choir stalls, located in the building’s central nave, are outstanding. Unfortunately, taking photos inside the cathedral was not allowed! You can find some online photos here, or the best way to go and explore it with your own eyes.

The most famous residence of the city is El Greco who moved in 1577, lived and worked there until his death, 1614. In Toledo, El Greco received several major commissions and produced his best known paintings.

To read more on “Architecture – Spanish style” go to the next post.

Photos by © Remzi Gokdag. Click to see more photos of Toledo.