Toledo is the most beautiful city I've ever visited. Pictures can't capture it. It is a combination of old and new, but the old is exceptional. The old walled city is connected by bridges to the newer part of Toledo, and a walk through the old city takes you back over a millennium in some places. After a few days in Spain however, that isn't the amazing part any more. The amazing part now is the beauty of the buildings and their surroundings with the history of the city.
When I was growing up, the phrase Holy Toledo was in common usage even in Newfoundland. It was used as an exclamation like 'holy smoke.' Seeing Toledo today explains so much of the origins of the term. Spain like so much of the world, was conquered by different peoples. The result here and in many ways unique, was that for eight hundred years, Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in harmony in Toledo, thus holy Toledo. Then the Spanish Inquisition happened. Goodbye harmony. Today there are only 30,000 Jews in the country of 46,000,000 and only 1,500,000 Muslims.
Toledo has a Jewish quarter though today there aren't any Jews there. However the influence of the Muslims and Jews on the city is still very obvious. As an example, we visited a synagogue in the Jewish Quarter which was built by the best artisans of the time, the Muslims. The design of the building, faciing towards Jerusalem, has wood ceiling, plaster walls and arches typical of the Muslim style. Later it became a church after the Jews converted to Christianity or left the country, which was the ultimatum they were given.
Synagogue in Toledo
The relationship that was working so well was destroyed. However, mutual respect, tolerance and co-operation built a beautiful place which is a testament to what harmony among people can do. We need Toledo of old but on a world scale.
Holy Toledo!
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