Toledo, part one,

an Introduction

:: April 10 - 21 ::

The Toledo coat of arms features a double headed eagle.

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After a 25 minute train ride from Madrid, we arrived at the Toledo train station, a beautiful Mudejar-style building built in 1917. 

We walked into its church-like main lobby with its mosaic tile and stained glass windows--a stunning introduction to our 10 day visit in Toledo. 

The walled historic center of the city sits atop a steep, rocky hill, surrounded on three sides by the Tagus River. Two 21st-century escalators assist tourists and locals at two points of arrival. We accessed panoramic views of the city from the top of the escalators and from a bus stop at a viewpoint/mirador on a nearby hill.

Toledo's rich history spans 2000 years: 

the Roman conquest in the 2nd century, 

the Visigoths in the 6th century (who made it their Christian capital), 

the Moors after their conquest in 712, 

a  Jewish community from Roman times to 1492 and somewhat beyond,

Catholics who made Toledo their first "reconquest" in 1085.

   In general, Catholics, Jews and Muslims did live with mutual tolerance and  convivencia between the 11th and 15th  centuries.

Toledo today owes its medieval charm and splendor to the fact that it was religious and political capital of Spain for centuries. In 1561, King Philip V (perhaps to thumb his nose at  his rival power, the Church) moved his capital and government to the village of Madrid. The city languished until (as with Brugge in Belgium) it began to attract visitors in the late nineteenth century who appreciate the city for the past that it preserves.

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