Page 398 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

396  CENTR AL SP AIN

Toledo Cathedral

The splendour of Toledo’s massive cathedral . Sacristy
reflects its history as the spiritual heart of the El Greco’s The
Church in Spain and the seat of the Primate of all Denuding of Christ,
Spain. The Mozarabic Mass, which dates back to above the marble
altar, was painted
Visigothic times, is still said here today. The present especially for the
cathedral was built on the site of a 7th-century cathedral. Also
church. Work began in 1226 and spanned three here are works by
centuries, until the completion of the last vaults in Titian, Van Dyck
and Goya.
1493. This long period of construction explains the
cathedral’s mixture of styles: pure French Gothic –
complete with flying buttresses – on the exterior;
with Spanish decorative styles, such as Mudéjar
and Plateresque work, used in the interior.

View of Toledo Cathedral
Dominating the city sky-
line is the Gothic tower
at the west end of the nave.
The best view of the cathe-
dral, and the city, is from
the parador (see p571).

KEY
1 The Puerta del Mollete, on the
west façade, is the main entrance
to the cathedral. From this door,
mollete, or soft bread, was
distributed to the poor.
2 The belfry in the tower contains
a heavy bell known as La Gorda (“the
Fat One”).
3 The Cloister, on two floors, was
built in the 14th century on the site
of the old Jewish market.
4 Capilla de Santiago
5 The Capilla de San Ildefonso
contains the superb Plateresque
tomb of Cardinal Alonso Carrillo
de Albornoz.
6 Puerta de los Leones Monstrance
In the Treasury is the
7 The Puerta del Perdón, or Door 16th-century Gothic
of Mercy, has a tympa num decorated silver and gold mon-
with religious characters. strance. It is carried
8 The Capilla Mozárabe has a through the streets of
beautiful Renaissance ironwork grille, Toledo during the
carved by Juan Francés in 1524. Corpus Christi cele-
brations (see p391).
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp570–71 and pp595–7

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