Hot Air Balloon Rides In Toledo City
Hot Air Balloon Rides in Toledo, Madrid , Standing on a hill high above the Tagus River the UNESCO World Heritage city of
Toledo was the former
capital of Spain until 1560 when Philip II moved the capital to Madrid.
You will notice a fascinating mix of Jewish, Moorish and Christian buildings in a city where these
three great religions were able to coexist amicably.
The essential panoramic sights of the city include the stunning Cathedral, the Alcazar (Fortress),
Synagogues and the Iglesia de Santo Tome which houses El Greco's greatest masterpiece.
The site of the Cathedral dates back to Roman times. Under the Visigoths it was a basilica then
under Moorish rule it became the city's main Mosque. After Toledo fell to the Christians in 1085
Alfonso VI promised to preserve the building as a Mosque for the city's large Muslim population.
This promise was broken and construction of the great Gothic Cathedral of Toledo began in 1226.
The building wasn't completed until 1493 and as a result of these two and a half centuries of work
there are clearly different architectural styles employed in the construction, notably Mudejar
(Moorish style whilst under Christian rule) and Spanish Renaissance. Amongst the priceless art
collection inside the Cathedral the highlight is El Greco's Twelve Apostles.
The Alcazar (fortress) strategically overlooks the eastern plains of Castile from above the Tagus
river. The building dates back to the 10th Century when it was built the most important city of
central Moorish Spain. Under Christian rule it was supposed to be a royal residence but the court
of Carlos I moved to Madrid so it served little purpose and became an army academy. The Alcazar
became famous during the Spanish Civil War when it was almost destroyed during a 70-day siege.
Franco had it rebuilt as a military museum.
The tiny 14th-century church Iglesia de Santo Tome consists of a single room in the Jewish quarter
in which El Greco's greatest masterpiece, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586) hangs from the
main wall.
After 1492 the majority of Spain's Jewish population was expelled by Fernando and Isabella. In
Toledo there had been 11 active synagogues before the expulsion, today just two remain as museums.
The Sinagoga del Transito, dating back to 1355, is the most interesting of the two most notably
for the Hebrew inscriptions along its walls. The synagogue now houses a museum about the history
of Jewish culture in Spain (www.museosefardi.net). The second synagogue is Sinagoga de Santa Maria
La Blanca which was built in the 12th century notable for its horseshoe arches.
The price of balloon rides in Toledo, Spain are 175€ per person.