In Toledo Cathedral in Spain, there are more masterpieces of fine art than in some European museums. It also has an interesting centuries-old history and complex architecture. For this reason, a detailed inspection of the temple may require at least three hours.
Former capital
The first mention of Toledo can be found in Roman written sources dating back to the 2nd century BC. After 700 years, the city captured and made its capital the Germanic tribe of the Visigoths. During their bicentennial reign, the diocese of Toledo received the status of archbishopric.
At the beginning of the VIII century, like many other Spanish cities, it became part of the Cordoba caliphate. Under the Moors, Toledo reached its peak, and the fame of its weapons masters spread far beyond the Pyrenees.
During the liberation war (reconquest), the city in 1085 was liberated by the troops of the Castilian king Alfonso VI. For the next 500 years, Toledo remained the capital until Philip II decided to move it to Madrid. Nevertheless, the city has not lost the status of the religious center of Spain to this day.
Department of Primate
It is believed that already in the IV century a church was built on the site of the current Toledo Cathedral of St. Mary on the orders of the first bishop of the city. More reliable information about it dates back to the VI century, when the Visigoth king Reccared transferred from Arianism to Nicene Christianity, on the basis of which Catholicism was subsequently formed.
During Arab rule, Toledo Cathedral was turned into a main mosque. After the liberation of the city, King Alfonso promised to keep the temple behind the Muslims. However, in October 1087, taking advantage of the absence of the monarch and securing the consent of Queen Constanta, the Archbishop of Toledo Bernard de Sedirac seized the mosque by force, erected a temporary altar and hung the bell.
When Alfonso VI found out about this, he became furious, preparing to take decisive action against the perpetrators. However, Arab lawyer Abu Walid petitioned to save their lives, recognizing the validity of usurpation. In the 15th century, the local archbishop paid tribute to Walid by erecting his statue. Thus, the mosque was transformed almost unchanged into the Cathedral of St. Mary, becoming the chair of the primacy - the Toledo Archbishop, who has the highest spiritual authority in the country.
Architectural ensemble
For the first time, they thought about the reconstruction of the cathedral in the 13th century. Alfonso VIII and his adviser, Archbishop Jimenez de Rada, decided to erect a new one on the site of the existing one, similar to those already built in Burgos and Leon. But the death of the monarch pushed back these plans for some time. The official groundbreaking ceremony took place four years later, in 1226, construction progressed slowly. In the next century, naves were built, the main facade, the base of the tower and the adjacent monastery. But only in 1493, with the completion of recent internal work, Toledo Cathedral was completed.
The Gothic building bears the imprint of the influence of Arabic architecture, characteristic of medieval Spain. The grandiose dimensions of the cathedral impress even today:
- length - 120 m;
- height - 44 m;
- width - 60 m.
In total, the roof of the Toledo Cathedral, formed by 72 arches, is supported by 88 columns. Unlike other religious buildings of that time, the Toledo Cathedral has only one tower, built between the 14th and 15th centuries, where the famous bell weighs 17 tons. Instead of a symmetrical tower, a chapel was built, the dome of which was painted by Jorge Manuel, son of El Greco.
Of the many chapels included in the architectural ensemble of the Toledo Cathedral (Toledo), it should be noted:
- Chapel of San Ildefonso, where the tombs of Cardinal Carrillo de Albornoz and some members of his family are located.
- Santiago Chapel, built in 1435 in the late Gothic style on the order of the Connable Don Alvaro de Luna as a family pantheon.
- The Chapel of the New Kings, erected at the beginning of the XVI century for the burial of the rulers of the Trastamar dynasty.
Masterpieces of painting
In the premises of the former sacristy of the Cathedral of Toledo, where church utensils and liturgical vestments of priests were previously stored, an art gallery is now arranged. In the XVI century, the Italian painter Luca Giordano painted the ceiling of the sacristy with a fresco, well preserved to this day. But the central work of the exposition is, without a doubt, the painting “Expio”, owned by El Greco.
In addition to her, in the former sacristy are exhibited works of such artists as:
- Titian;
- Van Dyck;
- Luis Morales;
- Goya
- Velazquez
- Caravaggio.
Toledo Cathedral and Filioque
In this case, we are not talking about the temple, but about the assembly of the highest church hierarchs, held in Toledo in 589. It discussed an important issue regarding the addition to the Creed adopted by the Council of Nicaea in the 4th century. The Latin word filioque, which is translated as “from the son,” was added to the mentioned Symbol by the decision of the majority of church hierarchs in Toledo. This statement meant that the Holy Spirit could come from both the Father and the Son. Representatives of the Greek-Byzantine church categorically did not agree with this, which subsequently served as one of the reasons for the division of Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
Toledo Cathedral opening hours
The temple today continues to be used for its intended purpose. It hosts daily worship services. Nevertheless, it is open for tourists all days:
- Monday to Saturday (10:00 - 18:00);
- Sunday (2 p.m. - 6 p.m.).
However, a total of 15 days a year excursions are possible only according to a special schedule. We are talking about Catholic holidays, a list of which can be found on the site of the cathedral. The cost of a full excursion is 12.5 € (914 rubles), only visiting museums is 10 € (730 rubles).