La vida española
The Toledo Town
The school where I personally study is located in the town of Toledo near Madrid. Toledo is a very historical city, there are many fortresses, old churches, and streets filled with ancient elements. All this comes from the fact that the city of Toledo was the previous capital of Spain, it played a big role in the heritage, and in the whole history of the Kingdom. Also, Toledo is a popular place for the location of country houses of some residents of Madrid.
Photograph: by Emilio Garcia on Unsplash
The Roman civilization called it Toletum far back in the second century AD. Temples, theaters, amphitheaters, circuses, walls, and an aqueduct were built under them. Some of the remains of these buildings can still be seen and visited, for example, the Toledo Roman Circus in the Vega Baja area. After the disappearance of Roman Spain, the city was occupied by Germanic peoples.
The Visigoths made it their capital, extending their kingdom to the entire peninsula. The conversion of their king Reccared in 587 and the holding of Visigothic cathedrals here marked the beginning of the city's ties with Christianity, which would culminate many centuries later with his appointment as primate of Spain.
The city was renamed Tulaytula when Muslims came here at the beginning of the eighth century. After that, but not without some conflicts, tolerance began to develop between the three civilizations and religions (Jewish, Muslim, and Christian).
Toledo reached its greatness in the XVI century, even after the transfer of the capital to Madrid in 1561. The population at that time was about 70,000 inhabitants, and this figure was surpassed only in the last years of the 20th century.
The city was renamed Tulaytula when Muslims came here at the beginning of the eighth century. After that, but not without some conflicts, tolerance began to develop between the three civilizations and religions (Jewish, Muslim, and Christian).
Toledo reached its greatness in the XVI century, even after the transfer of the capital to Madrid in 1561. The population at that time was about 70,000 inhabitants, and this figure was surpassed only in the last years of the 20th century.
El Greco
The artist El Greco played a big role in the history and culture of this city. It was in this environment that the Cretan-born artist Domenico Teotokopouli, better known as El Greco, who was highly appreciated by the modern artistic avant-garde, created his best paintings. El Greco came to Toledo and lived here for half of his life, during the brightest period of his work. The cosmopolitan character of this city, the presence of a powerful civil society and a rich cultural life, along with the international vocation of its ruling classes and the beginning of major construction programs aimed at modernizing the city, undoubtedly determined this choice.
There is a very beautiful El Greco house museum in the city, which attracts tourists and Spanish families with its popularity and a considerable number of works.
The artist El Greco played a big role in the history and culture of this city. It was in this environment that the Cretan-born artist Domenico Teotokopouli, better known as El Greco, who was highly appreciated by the modern artistic avant-garde, created his best paintings. El Greco came to Toledo and lived here for half of his life, during the brightest period of his work. The cosmopolitan character of this city, the presence of a powerful civil society and a rich cultural life, along with the international vocation of its ruling classes and the beginning of major construction programs aimed at modernizing the city, undoubtedly determined this choice.
There is a very beautiful El Greco house museum in the city, which attracts tourists and Spanish families with its popularity and a considerable number of works.
To me personally, Toledo is a calm, historical town of beautiful sunsets with kind, cheerful Spanish people. Despite its heat and desolation, it remains a wonderful quiet city for a large number of its inhabitants. It is one of a kind!