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Toledo:

A mountain city with a river valley below, an hour south of Madrid in central Spain

Is the capital of Castilla-La Mancha community

Population of 82,409

Speaks Castilian

Castilla-La Mancha has an area of 30,680 square miles just smaller than South Carolina our 40^th largest state

The Pope or Papa

Big “Papa” is holding the World Youth Festival here in Madrid in hopes of bring more young people to Sunday mass. In honor of the Pope and the thousands of his fans who spent last the week hanging out in downtown Madrid. I decided to take a look at the faiths that have defined Spain. Spain spread Christianity throughout the new world and is still mainly Catholic as 71% of Spaniards stating it as their faith, but that is down 10% according to the BBC. So I went on a personal crusade to the holy city of Toledo to discover more about Spain’s Faithful.




Part of the wall

 

The sense of holy cannot be overstated; this sense or feeling is felt throughout Toledo. It is a majestic city worthy of praise. It Sits on the top of a hill that feels like a mountain, and peers over a stunning river valley. The word storybook comes to mind as you wonder the labyrinths of winding streets. It’s easy to understand why people were drawn to this place. Why the Visigoths would make it their capital; the Moors a center of art and learning, and the Vatican would recognize it as the seat of the Spanish church. Its structures hail from mix origins creating a feeling of Arabia. This also is added by the mixing of religious cultures that gives it a holy aura like Jerusalem, but in the middle of Spain.

Faith dominates the skyline with steeples on almost every corner. These holy building were built by people of many faiths Christians, Jews, and Muslims all practiced on these sacred streets. It what is not the geographic center, but certainly the Center of town stands Catedral de Toledo. Where this large medieval cathedral stands is the historic religious center of Toledo. The Visigoth church stood on this spot which was converted into the central Mosque during Moorish rule, but it was destroyed in 1085 when the Castilla kingdom took Toledo. The structure that stands there now was built in 1227, and it is a monument to the Catholic faith. The inside is covered in stunning gold and wood reliefs, and it has hall after hall of masterwork art commissioned by the church. This building is a microcosm of Toledo. It rest on hollow ground, but not just for the Catholics that worship there now. It was also for the Islamic that ruled Spain for nearly 800 years. The Mosque destroyed, and replaced by an overwhelming structure of Catholic might.

Mezquita Cristo de la Luz a little church

To view the stunning Synagogues and Mosques that do remain I found myself donating euros to the Catholic Church. All of the historic sights of Judaism and Islam were converted to Christian Churches, museums, or commercial structures. This is mainly due to the Spanish Inquisition From 1478 through 1834. It was from this time most of these buildings became unused, therefore they too became centers for Catholicism.



The Inquisition changed Toledo and all of Spain. It is an ugly large chapter in Spanish History; Toledo is a tragic reminder of its bigotry. In Toledo as in all over Spain people of other faiths were forced to convert to Catholicism (among other horrors) to later be expelled from Spain altogether. This would strip Spain of a prominent middle class, and cultural diversity.

Toledo fell to the northern Christian kingdom of Castilla in 1085. This means that Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together in Toledo for almost 400 years with some form of harmony before the Inquisition. Yet, with Jews, Muslims, Heretics, and Lutherans all gone from Toledo the city is an empty shell of its former self. Its all to apparent when you walk into the reaming Mosques and Synagogues converted for Catholic mass. It’s a sad reminder of the hate and bigotry of this tragic part of Spain’s history.



Faith is a powerful thing as seen from the Inquisition it can produce horrors, but it can also inspire. We owe some of the greatest artistic creation to faith as it inspires people to reach beyond themselves. Throughout Toledo this is the case as the paintings by El Greco (who lived in Toledo) are showcased. In his works it’s easy to see how his faith inspired his work, but also created a living for him. This kind of awe inspiring work is seen in all three religions of Toledo. No matter the faith people were creating in celebration of there faith.



Me Podering Religion and looking at a tree

            I am not sure if Papa will bring more people into the fold this week. A lot of his faithful went to Toledo to take in the Center of Spanish Religion. I am sure they were excited to see the glories of Toledo. Yet if big Papa wants me to convert he would help a bother out, and not charge as much to see the glories of the Faith. I went to two Synagogues, one Mosque, and two cathedrals (all catholic) I had to pay 19 euros!!! The museum which was lovely was free. I will take the art any day less guilt and cheaper how can faith compete?