Toledo is located 40 miles south of Madrid, in the center of the Iberian peninsula. It is easy to reach by train or bus from Madrid. The AVE high-speed train only takes 30 minutes. Driving can be a problem since there are no parking spaces in the medieval city center. The city is the capital of both the province of Toledo and the autonomous region of Castila-La Mancha.
The Toledo area has been inhabited since the Bronze age, but the city was given its name by the Romans, who called it Toletum. When the Roman empire fell, the city became the capital of the Visigoths, until most of the present Spain were conquered by the Arabs in the eighth century.
The city became a trade and culture hub where Jews, Christians and Muslims coexisted in peace. When king Alfonso VI took Toledo in 1085, it was the first of the major Moorish cities to fall to the Christians, and marked the beginning of the "reconquista," which ended when the last Moorish kingdom of Granada was conquered in 1492.
Toledo became a center for learning after the conquest, scholars translating classic text first from Arabic to Spanish, then from Spanish to Latin, making them available to the rest of Europe. When the court moved away after the completion of the reconquest, the city lost its political importance.
Toledo was a religious center for a long time, and religious holidays remain important in the event calendar of the city. Easter is celebrated with ceremonies enacting the suffering of Christ.have been declared National Tourist Interest by the Spanish government. The churches of the monasteries in Toledo are open during Easter, but they are closed the rest of the year.
The Corpus Christi holiday, six weeks after Easter, has been declared of International Tourist Interest by the Spanish government. During the celebration, a procession moves through the city, where streets and houses have been decorated. It is possible to visit the courtyards of the houses during this time of year, and see the decorations.
The main attractions of Toledo are its buildings, in particular the cathedral. Construction started in 1226, and was finished in 1493. It is built in the Spanish Gothic style. The city features many other smaller churches, which are open to the public.
The churches of Toledo are richly decorated. El Greco, one of the most famous painters of Spain, lived in the city from 1572 to 1614. He has decorated several of the churches in the city, including the cathedral, and his work is documented in a museum.
The city became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986.
Toledo before the Spanish conquest was a Muslim city. After conquest, the Jews and Muslims were tolerated for some time, but the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, and the Muslims in 1502.
The current city was largely built as an Arabic city. The Mosque of Cristo de la Luz was built in 999 as a copy of the Mosque at Córdoba. The old Jewish quarter still stands, and the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, the Synagogue of El Transito, and the church of San Sebastián are open to visitors. The square known as Plaza de la Judería was the Jewish market.
