Today started out a bit overcast and so we decided it was a good time to go inside and tour Toledo's main attraction, its Cathedral. The Cathedral is massive and took over 250 years to build (1226 - 1495) and has a mix of styles, including Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical. It looks impressive on the outside but its what's inside that sets it apart from other Cathedrals. It was a memorable three hours spent exploring around this unbelievable Cathedral.
The Sacristy (where the priest prepares for service and where articles of worship are kept) houses a wonderful selection of paintings and sculptures under a barrel vaulted ceiling fresco depicting the "Descention of the Holy Virgin". The most famous painting is El Greco's "The Disrobing of Christ" which holds the central position in the room
The Disrobing of Christ by El Greco was completed in 1579 and is considered a "masterpiece of extraordinary originality". The painting depicts Jesus just before his Crucifixion with people vying for his clothes and the wooden cross being prepared. The colors jump out of the painting and the scene depicted is quite memorizing.
Chapel of the Treasure houses the great Monstrance of Arfe also known as the Le Gran Ostensoria de Toledo. Housed in bulletproof glass, this magnificent structure measures 10 ft tall, weighs 500 lbs, has 18 kilos of 18 karat gold, 183 kilos of pure silver and assorted gems. Originally, it was totally decorated in silver but 70 years later was gilded with gold, allegedly melted down from Christopher Columbus's first New World shipment of treasure. Since 1595 it has been part of the annual Corpus Christi of Toledo procession.
We also took a climb up to the Bell Tower up a series of narrow, circular stairs. Rita is at the top just below the monstrous big bell.
The bell, affectionately known as La Gorda (the fat one) weighs almost 18 tons and is the biggest bell in Spain and third largest in the world. It was completed in 1755 and allegedly cracked on its first ring due to a defect in the casting process.
Looking at The Primate Cathedral of St Mary of Toledo's west front featuring the 92 m (301ft) bell tower, Portal (entrance) of Forgiveness and the Mozarabic Chapel Dome. Originally, there was supposed to be a matching tower but an underground stream was found during construction and it was believed the ground would not support the weight.
Looking down one of five isles within the massive main chapel which has a total of 88 columns and 72 vaults to support the roof
In the center towards the back of the Cathedral is the stunning High Alter with its 16th century gold-plated iron grille, considered to be the best in Spain. It is the first time I have seen the High Alter in a self-contained box within the church
This amazingly intricate High Alter is made of real gold on larch wood and is considered one of Europe's best pieces of Gothic art. Work began in 1497 and was completed in 1504. The structure is about 15 m (50 ft) tall. The High Alter imagery summarizes the whole new testament. To give you some perspective of the size of this masterpiece, the crucified Christ at the top is nine feet tall
The Choir section is located in the center of the Cathedral (a few steps away from the High Alter) and is considered one of the grandest in all Christendom. The 72 walnut wood choir chairs were built in the 1495 and 1543 and each chair depicts a scene of a surrender by the Moors of a town or village in Granda. Front and center of the Choir is a Romanesque stone statue figure of the Virgin of Santa Maria la Blanca, the patron saint of the Cathedral. The statue is quite famous as there are very few images of the Virgin Mary smiling
El Transperente (the transparent) sits in front of the back of the High Alter and its purpose is to be illuminated from a skylight in the ceiling allowing shafts of light to pass through a hole in its alter piece and onto the tabernacle sitting in the High Alter directly behind it. It was a piece of religious trickery to give the impression that the tabernacle was rising to heaven. This particular transparent (built in 1732) is considered a masterpiece of Baroque mixed mediums (stucco painting, bronze castings and multiple colors of marble).
The Sacristy (where the priest prepares for service and where articles of worship are kept) houses a wonderful selection of paintings and sculptures under a barrel vaulted ceiling fresco depicting the "Descention of the Holy Virgin". The most famous painting is El Greco's "The Disrobing of Christ" which holds the central position in the room
The bell, affectionately known as La Gorda (the fat one) weighs almost 18 tons and is the biggest bell in Spain and third largest in the world. It was completed in 1755 and allegedly cracked on its first ring due to a defect in the casting process.
Wonderful view from the Bell Tower
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