Until 1560 when the baton passed to Madrid, Toledo was
capital of not only Spain but of a
burgeoning empire. Prior to then it had been an important provincial center of the
Roman and the
Moors, while the
Jewish community had also left an indelible mark.
Post 1560, however, its
importance declined rapidly and the city slid into the
political backwaters. A favorable consequence of this was that much of the fabric of the old town remained untouched by ‘progress’ and today it is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site with very tangible
reminders of its multi-faceted past.
Surrounded on three sides by the moat-like
River Tagus (Rio Tajo), with parts of its
city wall and powerful
gateways still intact, Toledo is one of Spain’s
most photographed and
visited cities, little changed in appearance since El Greco painted its higgledy piggledy skyline nearly four centuries ago.
The downside to this is that some parts of the town have come to resemble a theme park with
large tour groups blocking the narrow alleyways and crowding the trinket-stuffed shops in search of the famous
Toledan steel.
Once the deadliest weaponry in the world, wielded by
Spanish heroes from El Cid to the Conquistadores, today it is more likely to be manufactured under
Hollywood license as the ‘official’ arms of
Lord of the Rings or
Conan the Barbarian.
Still, there are more than enough sights to accommodate allcomers and the
labyrinthine streets mean that you can get off the beaten track in no time at all. If you can,
stay overnight, when the city empties of day trippers and reverts to its quiet
medieval atmosphere.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Related Spain Content
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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