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West Africa, Malta and the Balkans in 1999

Madrid, Toledo(SPAIN)

Bec
2004-09-18 18:54:16

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the airport bus stops.

Last but not least is the very important Plaza de Toros which no self respecting Spanish city of any size would be without!

Toledo
The ancient Roman Toletum was a natural stronghold surrounded on three sides by the Tagus river. It was conquered by the Romans in 193 BC who made it the capital of Carpentia. It was there that the Visigoth king Roncared converted to Catholicism in 670 AD. It was the home of Arab speaking Catholics during the Moorish period and was reconquered by Afonso VI in 1085. It then became the seat of the Catholic church in Spain and one of the principal residences of the Castillian monarchs and court until Felipe II moved the capital to Madrid in 1561.

Here you can see the church of the Franciscan Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes overlooking the western walls (it took 139 years to build it, from 1477 to 1606)

Below on the left is a partial view of the front of the Cathedral (I could not get back enough to take the impressive belfry). On the right is the house where the famous painter El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), is said to have lived from 1577 to 1614.

Here is the Archbishop's Palace next to the Cathedral and the City Hall. The Archbishop wielded considerable influence and power from this place in Catholic Spain. It is said that Felipe II moved the capital from Toledo to Madrid largely to distance himself from that power.

The Zocodover square just north of the Alcazar takes its name from the Arab souq ad-dawab (livestock market) that used to be held here. It is now a friendly square where Toledanos and tourists come to relax. A rubber wheeled tourist train leaves from here for a comfortable hour long tour of the sights of hilly Toledo

Finally, one more shot of Toledo's Walls as a visual reminder of the closed minds of the absolute monarchs who once ruled half of the world from here.

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