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MADRIDRESA med SvD och NATIONALMUSEUM

Dear readers. In order to please you who don't speak Swedish and you from Sweden who appreciate the English language I hearby present to you:

TOLEDO


Toledo is both capital of the province with the same name, as well as capital of the Autonomous Community called Castilla-La Mancha. It is located 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Madrid on the Autovía A-42. Toledo is a world heritage city.

The town is erected on a hill. The river Tajo is flowing around its historical center.  On the top of the hill you see Alcazar, a castle built on the place, where the Romans once built a fortress. Click on the first picture and the next one and so on and you will get a pictorial suite of Toledo.
Photos: ©Lillemor Brink

Toledo is known as "The City of Three Cultures". Christian, Islamic and Hebrew cultures coexisted during centuries.  They still exist in the architecture, where the customary artistic styles of each one are interwoven, exchanging influences and forming hybrids with their own personalities. As you will notice in my pictures; a human being is small in front of the works of art.

Picture taken from the ground by zooming in this object, the Flamboyant-Gothic spire on one of two towers of the
 cathedral. The cathedral  is majestatic. It is impossible to catch this immense building in one picture. I have to choose a part of it that interrests me particularly.  The latticed lantern with buttress, crabs and spirals make an impression of a space-rocket ready to take off.

All the exterior doors are splended, but the maindoors are three:  The Door of Hell, Door of Pardon and Door of Judgement.  This is one of the three main doors. I suppose it is the Door of Judgement. As you can see it is a mix of different styles.

El Greco: El Expolio (The Disrobing of Christ)

Although construction began in 1226, the Cathedral was not finished until the end of the 15th century, undergoing numerous changes and additions after the completion of the building.

Bridge of Alcántara. The way out from the old city.

Tower with roman arches and crenellation on the top. 

I took some pictures inside the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca. Characteristic of the Mudéjar style in Toledo.

Litt.: "Toledo, World heritage city",  Tomás Diaz Martinez, Turespaña Secretaria de Estado de Turismo
H.W. Janson, "KONSTEN", Tredje utgåvan, utökad och bearbetad av Anthony F. Janson.

Our art historian Helén Hallgren Archer on the bridge

If you would like to know more about Toledo just visit:
http://www.annorlunda-spanien.com/index.php/2009/06/toledo-en-turistfalla-med-historia-och-charm/
I have got permission by Monica, the author of Toledo-en-turisfälla, to refer to her link.