subject: Toledo For Spain Holiday Rentals [print this page] Toledo, the main city of Castilla y La Mancha for SPAIN HOLIDAY RENTALS, can be found 40 miles from the southeast part of Madrid. This excellent city is wealthy in a great artists works in addition to tourist locations. El Greco, the planet-famous painter from the 16th century, considered Toledo as his home when he arrived.
In the fifth century the Visigoths made Toledo their capital; however in the sixth century the Moors invaded the town and ousted the Visigoths. In 1085, King Alfonso Mire of Spain overthrew the Moors and brought in the golden era of Toledo which survived until the time King Philip I moved his court to Madrid in 1561. Following the end of their golden era, the economy of Toledo experienced a downfall. Up to today, the truly amazing historic structures of Toledo remained in great condition.
The magnificent Toledo Cathedral is among the many points of interest in the city. The building of this excellent cathedral began in 1227 and was finally finished in 1493. It is among the most magnificent cathedrals in the country. It hosts an excellent assortment of works of art by great artists like Goya, El Greco and Velazquez.
The San Tome Chapel in Toledo is visited by hundreds of vacationers every year who come to take a look at the gigantic artistic masterpiece El Entierro de Orgaz produced by El Greco. The El Greco masterpiece represents the funeral scene of the Count of Orgaz by Saint Augustine and Saint Stephen. A larger range of El Grecos oil paintings are visible in the Casa y Museo del Greco within the old Jewish quarter of Toledo. Being a famous artist from the city, his works together with those of Goya and Ribero can be found within an old 16th century hospice converted into a museum.
The Alcazar castle is difficult to overlook in Toledo due to its gigantic size. This castle was almost completely destroyed throughout the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist forces commanded by Jose Moscardo used the castle as a fort as the Republicans trapped them for nearly 10 days. The castle continues to be restored to the former glory and it is now a military museum with items of the historic siege that almost destroyed the castle.
The Jewish community of Toledo was quite large during the Dark Ages and due to this the city has two early synagogues: the Santa Maria La Blanca and the El Transito. The Santa Maria La Blanca was built in the twelfth century however it was converted into a Christian chapel after the Jews were ousted from Toledo in 1492. The El Transito was built in the 14th century by Samuel Levi.
Travelling by plane back and forth to SPAIN HOLIDAY RENTALS from Toledo isn't a problem because there is an airport terminal near Madrid: the Barajas Airport terminal. The train system of Toledo is also very reliable. You will find also lots of buses travelling into and around the town. For directions and assistance, vacationers can head to the local tourism office in Puerta de Bisagra that is open seven days per week.
