The Most El Greco Of El Grecos

The last stop of Javi's bracelet tour of the area that encompasses the Jewish Quarter was Santo Tome, a chapel on the Plaza del Conde.

We didn't make it into the main part of the chapel, as the attraction in Santo Tome is a simple, yet amazing one -- El Greco's famous painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.  One source calls it El Greco's most beloved painting, and it combines heaven and earth with just an incredibly richness of scene-setting art.

He painted it 253 years after the burial of Count Don Gonzalo Ruiz of Orgaz, who died in 1323.  El Greco included himself and his son in the painting, and there is rich detail in every part of the painting, which took nearly two years.

The painting is approximately 16 feet by 12 feet, and towers over the Count's grave.  It focuses on both the burial and the assumption of the count's soul into heaven.

In explaining the painting Javi did the smart thing.  When we got into the antechamber where the painting and grave is, the scene in front of the painting was chaos, as big tour groups were coming through and crowded around the painting.  Javi took us to the other end, sat us down, and pulled out his iPad.  He then called up the painting on screen, and walked us through the different elements of the painting, zooming in on each section as he talked about it.

Not only did his explanation allow us to fully understand the painting, but it was easy to follow along.  Instead of standing in the crowd, straining to hear Javi and hoping/failing to figure out what part of the painting details he was talking about, it was clear as could be.

Then, as we walked up to see the painting, the crowds parted (well, they left) and we were able to get right up to the rope by the grave and the painting.  The timing was perfect, AND we had the added advantage of knowing what we were looking at!  If our tour of El Prado included a similar explanation of the Bosch painting, The Garden of Earthly Delights, I would have gotten a lot more out of it.

After leaving Santo Tome, Javi pointed to some lunch options and we parted ways.  He's certainly one of the best tour guides we've had, if not the best, and I say that not just because he lugged our big bag up three flights of stairs in the heat at our apartment!

I tipped him well as a way of saying thanks.  Later, in our What's App text exchanges, he thanked me again.  I noted that while most of it was for the tour, five Euros was for taking our big bag up to the apartment!

This is NOT the El Greco painting

(but you figured that out).  It's a

view of the Tagus River, which

wraps itself around approximately

three-quarters of Toledo,

providing extra natural defense.

This is the painting.  As with all

these photos, click on the

picture to enlarge it.

El Greco in the middle.  He's one of

two in the painting to be looking

at the viewers of his art.  His son

is the other (bottom left in the 

full photo of the painting above).

The earthly burial. 

Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue

Our next stop with the convenient and easy to use Toledo Tourist bracelet was the Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue.  I get the synagogue part of the name, and, as you can see from the photos below, the "blanca" (white), but I don't get the Santa Maria part.

According to Wikipedia, it is considered to be the oldest synagogue building in Europe that is still standing.  Constructed by Muslim craftsmen, the carvings and arches are pure Mudejar style.

Although, as Javi points out, there really isn't a difference between Mudejar and Moorish/Muslim, because it's not like multiple styles from two or three religions were blended together.

Built during the 12th and/or 13th centuries, it may have been built within a previously existing mosque.  Built after the Reconquista of Toledo, it was sacked during the pogroms of 1391, and consecrated as a Christian church.  It was later used as a military barracks and a warehouse.

In 2013 the Jewish community of Toledo requested that the Catholic Archbishop of Toledo to transfer ownership back to them as a symbolic gesture and it is presently a museum.

Inside the synagogue

Built by Muslim craftsmen, it gives

off a complete Moorish vibe.

Cervantes done by an art

student at the local art school.

Yes, it is done in the

elongated style of El Greco.

The menorah on the streets

indicates the Jewish Quarter

A Tour Of Toledo's Jewish Quarter: The Monastery

We had breakfast at a little cafe just around the corner from the front end of our street, and then met Javi at 9am for the final three hours of our five hour tour.  As we were staying at an apartment in the Jewish Quarter, Javi recommended we tour the main buildings of that area.

Before I go any further, let me highly recommend Javi as a guide if you are going to Toledo.  He can be booked by emailing Destino Toledo at reservas@destinotoledo.com.  Along with being interesting, he is very personable.  We felt like we got to know him and consider him a friend.  Hopefully he feels the same way.

The year 1492 was quite a big one in Spanish history.  Not just Columbus sailing the ocean blue, but also the completion of the Reconquista as the Moors were expelled from the Iberian peninsula after their initial invasion more than 700 years earlier.  Another key event was that Isabel and Ferdinand expelled Jews who refused to convert to Christianity.  

Our first stop with Javi was the huge San Juan de los Reyes monastery, which was built under the direction of Isabel and Ferdinand (I place the Queen first because she was the power of the throne, while it appears Ferdinand was mostly along for the ride).  It was to be the burial place of the Queen and King, but they ended up buried in Granada instead.

The exterior of the church, which gives off more a castle-feel to it, features chains that were used to shackle Christians before the Reconquista.  The church is a popular spot for weddings, so I joked that a set of chains is given to each bride for use after the marriage begins.  Javi laughed and Mrs. Iron Tourist shot me a half-hearted glare.  Half-hearted because, well, it was funny, and because she wasn't surprised by the quip after 35 years of marriage.

We bought the Toledo Tourist Bracelet, which allows access to seven historical buildings for the price of three.  It's definitely a good deal, and each location simply scans the QR code on the bracelet, so after buying it initially, allows you to breeze through into each monument.  

We got our money's worth, as we went to six of the seven monuments, three with Javi and then three on our own.

Back to the monastery. . .it was built to celebrate the birth of their son, Prince John, as well as an indecisive battle "victory" over the Portuguese, which at least was a decisive political victory that assured the throne and paved the way for the unification of the kingdoms of Spain.  Started in 1477, it was completed in 1504.

The church has many decorations of the Catholic monarchs coats of arms held by wonderfully-sculpted, and fierce-looking eagles.  The whole monastery is pretty amazing, with lots of great carvings, artwork, and depictions of the power of Isabella and Ferdinand.

Pictures From The Monastery Of San Juan de los Reyes

The "F" in the corner stands for "Ferdinand."

The yoke carving symbols "Y" which

was the initial letter of "Isabella"

back in the day.  It is to show the

two were close to each other.

And over the right side of the entrance is

a "Y" for Isabella, while the arrows

are "flecha" in Spanish, with the "f"

representing "Ferdinand."

These chains have an unfortunate past.

And I made an unfortunate, yet

still funny, joke.

Cardinal Cisneros: the power behind the throne.

He was tight with the Queen and King,

former Governor of the Kingdom of Castille,

and served as Grand Inquisitor during that

thing that no one expected (SNL

reference there).

Not every craftsman was happy

with their boss.  Here is a

depiction of a Franciscan

monk as a monkey sitting

on a toilet.  Apparently

the carvings were flush with

inside jokes and jabs.

Most of the carvings are legit.

An eagle with a royal

coat of arms.

Another eagle, ready for his close-up.

A monkey gargoyle.

These lions project power.

The upper level of the cloisters.

The cloisters.

A double eagle.

Queen Isabella.  Not as 

pretty as in the movies.

This eagle and coat of arms adorns what

was once part of the monastery, but now

is an art school.

We have become big fans of Rick Steves, the American who churns out PBS shows and travel guides on Europe.  He oddly gives the Monastery short shrift, but we are big fans of it.  I'm posting a lot of pictures, but there are many interesting ones I'm NOT including.  Since you can't rely on Rick for good insight into the monastery, hire Javi for a really good in-depth tour of it. 

Toledo At Night

Toledo tourism is mostly day-trippers from Madrid.  So the streets pretty much roll up at night.  After dinner, with the cooler temps, we walked around the city, seeing only a few other people.

The bridge of the

archbishop.

The Cathedral.

The doors to the

Cathedral.  Grand, but

a bit intimidating.

City hall.

Photos From The Cathedral of Toledo

Sorry I don't remember what all of these are, but enjoy!  Alas, every so often, as with this, the blog puts the photos backwards, not in order.  This is one of those times.

Incredible painting of leaves. . .

a lamb. . .and,

Well, Javi kindly reached out

to tell me I had captioned this wrong.

Interestingly, I had checked it on the

Internet, so that was wrong too.

It's Pope Paolo III by Tiziano.

Mary and Jesus in a playful moment.

This is unlike any other art I've

seen of the two of them.

The high altar.

A rose window.

The cathedral tower.

The monstrance.

The full monstrance.

If there is a rose window (or

several), I guarantee you it

will end up on the blog.

The entrance to the cathedral.

This has nothing to do with

the cathedral.  Instead it is

a marzipan cake of Don

Quixote, made by this shop

to be in the Guinness Book 

of World Records as the largest

marzipan cake of Don

Quixote ever made.

Trying to beat the record

would be like tilting at

windmills.

(Editor's note: That's the second time on this trip you have used that joke.  Writer: And, if I get the opportunity, there will be a third time!)