Island Hopping 2024: Toledo, the Cathedral, Iglesia Del Salvador

First thing today, we visited the Cabildo de la Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada (Toledo’s major Cathedral).  To enter the Cathedral one has to purchase a ticket across the street.  General admission tickets were 16 Euros apiece.  We were able to purchase senior tickets for half price.  But still, we only wanted to see the church, not buy indulgences.  None the less, now free of spending any time in purgatory Sandy and I walked across the street with our tickets and entered the Cathedral. 

The church itself is a great example of Mudéjar architecture, which is a fusion of Arabic and Christian artistic styles, probably due to Arabic artisans who remained in Spain after the reconquesta and being an important part of the workforce building the cathedral.  The church is enormous and housed many artistic treasures including another and more complete set of an El Greco apostolate series.  Also to be found are more relics, including the complete set of bones of Saint Ursula, Saint whose bones took a long and unusual path to Toledo.

Perfect example of Mudéjar architecture.  Is it Muslim?  Is it Christian?

This place is huge

This gold gilded wall, was to help the priest explain the stories of the Bible to the illiterate

It's hard to tell from this picture but this organ is larger than our house

The body of Saint Ursula, killed by Atilla the Hun, as a relic

Each of these are containers for relics (bones) of the saints

Even the sky lights have sculptures.  Feels like they are watching from heaven

Called a monstrance, nothing but gold, silver, and precious stones

Huge star sapphires in the monstrance

The vaulted ceiling in the room that houses El Greco's Apostolate Series

El Greco's Christ

Standing on a terrace in the city looking across the Tagus River

Toledo, often referred to as the "City of Three Cultures (Christian, Muslim, Jewish),” encapsulates the essence of Spain's diverse history. Nestled on the Tagus River, this ancient city has been a focal point for Iberian civilizations, leaving an indelible mark on the country's historical landscape.  Toledo's history traces back to Roman times, when it was known as Toletum. The city thrived as a Roman municipium, showcasing its strategic location and economic significance. Roman engineering marvels, such as the Alcázar, still stand testament to this era.  Following the decline of the Roman Empire, Toledo became the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom in the 6th century, Germanic people whose southern immigration was instrumental in bringing to an end the Roman Empire. This period marked the assimilation of Visigothic and Roman cultures, laying the groundwork for Toledo's unique identity.  In 711 AD, Islamic forces entered Toledo, initiating a period of coexistence among Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities. Under Muslim rule, Toledo flourished as a center for learning, translating classical works, and preserving knowledge.  The 11th-century Reconquista brought Toledo back under Christian rule, sparking a cultural revival. The construction of the iconic Toledo Cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic and Mudéjar architecture, exemplifies the city's newfound Christian prominence.

Perhaps one of the best places to see this is in the Iglesia Del Salvador.  A small church, by European standard, that is built on top of a mosque which in turn was built on top of a yet older Visigothic Christian church.  The church remains active as a place of worship, but it is also an active archeologic dig site.  Here we saw how the Romans yielded to the Visigoths who yielded to the Muslims who then yielded to the Reconquista. 

Looks like a simple little church

Except for the excavation taking place underneath.  These are Visigoth crypts

These two pictures tell it all.  A Roman column with Visigoth Christian Images in front of the Renaissance Alter

But wait, the faces have been scratched off the images on the column by the Muslims when they were using this structure as a mosque.

Lastly and predictably Sandy and I ended up in a Tapas Bar.  A glass of wine, olives, cheese, chips and ranciones of a delicious pollo frito.  I truly enjoy the small plate culture of the bars.

This is why we travel, we see new things, we meet new people, we eat new foods.