Irene Reid Livres

Toledo is a very old city; its story stretches back to even before the Roman Empire, and it has seen many kingdoms and empires slip past. It sits atop a rocky outcrop in the middle of Spain, circled by its ancient town wall. Stroll around its maze of tiny streets and squares, and soak up the history and drama of the Toledo story. Visit the ancient churches, mosques, and synagogues, often built on top of each other as each successive ruling dynasty stamped its religious beliefs on Toledo. Toledo was also the home to El Greco, the famous mannerist artist with his own distinctive style of painting. You can view many of his masterpieces, some in churches, hospitals, and museums as you explore. This is a self-guided step-by-step walk around the old city of Toledo. It contains detailed maps of each section to make navigation as simple as possible. There are two walks, The Highlights, and Gates and El Greco. Excerpt from the walk "Another macabre story from the history of Plaza Zocodovar involves the "Brotherhood of Charity". If a body was found in Toledo or perhaps pulled out of the Tagus, and if no obvious family could be located, the body was placed in a large enclosure on the square. The brothers would then encourage the citizens to donate to give the dead a decent burial. Just imagine that sight on a hot Spanish day!!"