The city of Toledo sits on a hill above the plains of Castilla and La Mancha in central Spain. The flow of the Tagus river naturally protected the city on three sides from invaders. This did not prevent constant conflict and cultural influences of Toledo, Spain over the centuries.
The three cultural influences of Toledo, Spain were dictated by the presence of Arabic, Jewish, and Christian population. These occurred on different times over the centuries and were marked by constant conflict and change.
We walked the streets of Toledo. Arabic, Christian, and Jewish designs were all over the place. The Catholic influence on the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes was showing even on its exterior. The monastery was built in the Isabelline style.
The Synagogue of Santa Maria La Blanca was built in the Moorish design. It had moorish design with Jewish markings.
We could have stayed longer to immerse in the cultural influences of Toledo, Spain. Sadly, we were following a guided walking tour. We started from the city of Madrid and were making our way to the southwestern part of Spain. Our next stop was the City of Cordoba.
[…] photographs of doors. This was taken in Toledo, Spain while we were on a walking […]
It’s too bad we couldn’t spend more time in Madrid when we there a couple years ago as I really wanted to take a day trip to Toledo. Thanks for showing what I was missing.
I feel sad 😞 that you missed it. At least, now you know what you missed. You can plan for it for next travel 😊.
[…] Inside the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, Moorish and Christian influences can be found everywhere – the pillars and arches, the altars, the statues, the frescoes, and even the floors and ceilings. Outside, Jewish influences were dominant along the narrow streets of the Jewish Quarters. It was much like Toledo, Spain. […]
[…] beautiful decorative ceramic plates were on display at the side of the road in Toledo, Spain. I wasn’t sure whether the shop was selling the beautiful decorative ceramic plates. We were […]