The Imperial City of Toledo, in 1986 recognized as World Heritage by the UNESCO, is situated at only 60 kilometres of the capital of Madrid. At present several relics of the three cultures that lived amongst its walls remain, like the Prime Cathedral, the Mosque “Cristo de la Luz”, the Synagogue “del Transito”, the Alcazar and the celebration of Corpus Christi, one of the most important and popular processions in Spain.

The different people that passed through Toledo have left successively their footprints on the town. The walls for example, that were built by the Romans, were reconstructed and received their actual trace by the Arabs. Many gates can be found, but the gate “de la Bisagra” which carries in its upper part the coat of arms of the Imperial City, is the most representative and gives access to the historic town.

Mosque “Cristo de la Luz” (10^th century). The only one of its style that survives of the ten that used to exist in the town. It is situated directly behind the gate of Bisagra, the horse-shoe arches succeed themselves and remember and are based on the Mosque of Cordoba.

Synagogue “del Transito” (14^th century). Beautiful walls covered with plasterwork precede a rectangular interior, covered with a beautiful “alfarje” (panelled ceiling). It contains the Sefardi Museum.

The Cathedral. Of gothic style, it was erected between 1226 and 1493 on a west-gothic church, which was constructed during the reign of Recaredo. The sacristy harbours a valuable collection of paintings by El Greco, Lucas Jordan, Van Dijck and Goya. But all dependencies are works of art: from the Chapel of the New Kings to the Chapel of Santiago, along the Choir in Renaissance style, the Mozarabic Chapel or the Chapter House.

House Museum of El Greco. Although a sign indicates the entrance, the painter never lived here, but it does harbour several significant paintings of the artist from Crete, such as the Tears of Saint Peter or The Apostolate.

Alcazar of Toledo. Situated on the highest point of the town, in the Roman period it was a palace and under the Christians it was converted in to the first alcazar with a square base. Under Charles I it suffered an important remodelling. Each façade is of a different style and period: the eastern one is medieval, the western one is Renaissance, the northern one is Plateresque and the southern one is Churrigueresque (a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament). With the invasion of the French troops and the Spanish Civil War is was destructed, butter after the reconstruction it harbours the Museum of the Army and military units.

A period and a history go together in the handicraft: the swords from Toledo, the ceramics or the “damasquinado”. The production of swords and sables is destined mainly to tourism, although there are orders from different armies in the world. Regarding the damasquinado, this is an Arabian decoration technique, consisting of incrusting silver and gold on less noble but harder materials (iron, bronze, steel, ceramic, porcelain…) and applying this technique on rings, bracelets, brooches, dishes. All the streets are full with workshops and shops dedicated to handicraft which will not remain unobserved by visitors and convert some spaces in little bazaars.