Toledo

Toledo. The ancient capital of Spain. The mighty fortress. The fairy tale city.

We spent Wednesday touring Toledo. I loved every minute of it! It is surrounded on three sides by the River Tagus and the fourth side is a giant stone wall. The city is made of stone and it glows golden when the sun shines on it. Looking at the ancient city on the hill, I felt like I was in ancient Spanish times.

All of the streets of Toledo are made of cobblestone and they wind and meander around the city with no rhyme or reason. One of the bridges was built by the Romans in the 1200s. It felt like being in a fairy tale.

We visited the Monastery of St. John. This royal monastery was built by the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabel) to be their burial place. However, they decided to be buried in Granada. It is a stunning stone building, with intricate details. There is also a beautiful courtyard with orange trees and a well.

After visiting the monastery, we stopped in at a small church, St. Thomas. Inside this church is the masterpiece of El Greco, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. It is a stunning painting and has never been restored. It depicts the miracle that legend says took place at the counts burial. Two saints, St. Stephen and St. Augustine, came down from heaven to bury the Count. At the foot of the painting was the tomb of the Count of Orgaz.

My favorite part of Toledo was the Cathedral of Toledo. It took my breath away. Its size alone was astonishing, not to mention the detail on the inside. The altar piece is made of gold and it contains over 24 biblical stories told by wooden painted statues. The ceilings are extremely high. The attention to detail is amazing. Behind the altar, there is a beautiful window dome that was made at exactly the right angle. For two minutes every summer solstice, the sun shines through just right and illuminates the altar piece, making it almost transparent.

While cold and windy, Toledo was absolutely amazing. I cannot wait to go back again soon!

The altar piece of the Cathedral of Toledo

Toledo