Toledo
About Toledo
Toledo is the capital city of Toledo Province. It has been on UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites since 1987. Toledo is a real jewel in the Spanish Crown. If you are in Madrid, then Toledo is a must place for a day trip since it is only seventy kilometers away from Madrid. Toledo is primarily rich in history. It is also called as Holy City, the imperial city, the city of three cultures etc. However, the list with their names is long and all names reflect the cultural wealth of this place. Toledo was always the city of great importance, mainly due to an extremely strategic position.
Landscapes
Landscape is dominated by Alcazar, first quadrangular fortress with towers on each corner, and grand Cathedral, which is especially beautiful at night, due to the excellent lighting. Furthermore, this is the second largest cathedral in Spain, immediately after the one in Seville. There you can find works of some major Spanish artists such as Goya and El Greco created many dark and mysterious works, which are adding an extra dose of mystique to this city.
On the entrance of the city you will be welcomed by old stone houses, towers, churches, mosques, synagogues, which cannot leave you indifferent. However, you will soon notice Puerta Nueva de Bisagra or the New Bisagra Gate, which was built by the Moors. This present look is from the 16th century, when Spanish renovated it. This marvelous gate looks like a little castle.
Influences
When you stroll down the narrow streets of Toledo, you can really feel the spirit of ancient times and mystique of the holy city.The name of the city is due to the fact that it was conquered and settled three cultures, Christian, Muslim (Moors) and Jews. All religions lived in peace alongside each other, which led you to see the combination of Renaissance churches, synagogues and mosques.
The Arabs made a great impact on science, not only on Toledo but also on entire Europe. Furthermore, Moorish writings were found in the city’s library. Above all, many people believed that the scripts were lost. These magnificent scripts had traces of great Greek philosophers and Arab scholars.
History
Toledo dates from the Bronze Age. It was a Roman province, so today you can find many Roman’s remains in the city. From the eight century, Toledo was conquered by the Moors.After 11th century, Toledo fell into the hands of the king of Castile. After the union with Aragon, Toledo became the capital city of Castile province. The city enjoyed this status until the 1565, when Madrid became the capital of Spain.