About the Toledo Walk in Madrid
A center of culture and religion since the Middle Ages, Toledo has been home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the Mahgreb. Now a World Heritage site, the churches, synagogues, and mosques that still dot this beautifully preserved city are a testimony to the heterogenous history of Europe.
During this excursion from Madrid, we'll join a scholar from the Context network to explore the architectural and social history of Toledo to offer insight into the city that is traditionally known as ‘the melting pot of three cultures.' Our seminar-like discussion will begin on the 20-minute train ride from Madrid, during which our scholar will lay out the basic timeline of Toledo's history and some of main themes to think about. Once in Toledo, we'll begin our walk at the Cathedral, whose origins go back to the seventh century, and boasts a superb collection of Gothic altarpieces, funerary monuments and choir stalls, as well as a rare religious painting by Goya.
From here we will head to the
read more
A center of culture and religion since the Middle Ages, Toledo has been home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the Mahgreb. Now a World Heritage site, the churches, synagogues, and mosques that still dot this beautifully preserved city are a testimony to the heterogenous history of Europe.
During this excursion from Madrid, we'll join a scholar from the Context network to explore the architectural and social history of Toledo to offer insight into the city that is traditionally known as ‘the melting pot of three cultures.' Our seminar-like discussion will begin on the 20-minute train ride from Madrid, during which our scholar will lay out the basic timeline of Toledo's history and some of main themes to think about. Once in Toledo, we'll begin our walk at the Cathedral, whose origins go back to the seventh century, and boasts a superb collection of Gothic altarpieces, funerary monuments and choir stalls, as well as a rare religious painting by Goya.
From here we will head to the Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca, stopping along the way at the church of San Tomé to examine one of El Greco's masterpieces, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz within the context of medieval funerary customs and the relevance of its setting in Toledo. The fourteenth-century Synagogue nearby, which houses the Museum of Sephardic Culture, is crucial to our understanding of the Jewish influence on Spanish culture. After a tour of the Jewish quarter, we will visit the late fifteenth-century Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, commissioned by the Reyes Católicos, and a perfect setting for a discussion of the political and religious decisions taken by the monarchs.
We'll finish up at the Monasterio de San Clemente with an opportunity to sample the best marzipan made in Toledo, made by the Cistercian cloistered nuns who reside here. At this point we'll leave you (with tickets for your return to Madrid) free to explore the rest of Toledo on your own.
