Unlike most churches, in my experience, this Catedral was quite expansive and even navigating around it to find the entrance took up more time than you would expect and involved going down more narrow side passages. The picture to the left isnt the entrance I went in but shows a great view of the main church tower of the main facade
The lion being watched over by this Holy man, was one of many that decorated the main entrance for visitors which is appropriately called the Puerta de los Leones
I entered the church to find an expansive hall that left me not knowing where to start. Luckily the audio tour foresaw this problem and instructed the listener to take a moment to take in the wonder of the catedral.
As I followed the tours guidance through the various naives of the giant cathedral I learned more about the Church's history and its current state. Being unfamiliar with Catholic tradition I learned that this was the See of Archdiocese of Toledo, meaning the place where the Bishop or Archbishop resides over the surrounding regions Catholic churches
I also found the history of the churches evolution over the years particularly interesting. Further back to the time when the Visagoth's were centered in Toledo, this church was in a different stage and a different form of Catholic tradition. Several major events took place including the Visagoth chuch rejecting Arianism which was a conflict enducing belief that Jesus was not on the same hierarchical level as God. Evidently the Visagoth tradition has other distinct, yet minor details that make it different from the Latin Catholic church, and this Catedral was one of the only places where one of the masses is still done in this Visagoth tradition.
From the Visagoth church this site found itself a new form when the Moors took Toledo in the 8th Century. Given its prominent position and foundation work, the Church was leveled and Mosque was placed instead. When Catholic Alfonso VI, King of León and Castile took the city again. He began the process of reconverting it to a Catholic church. However this transition was slow and part of the reason Toledo was able to keep peace was because Alfonso refused to outright destroy the Mosque. Consequently many small remenants can still be found with in the church's style. This preservation allowed the Church to function a mosque and catholic cathedral for some of his reign. However, the large majority of the church that stands today was a result of over two hundred years of contraction by Alfanso and other kings, with each one adding new chapels, naives, and personal touches
Part of the history of the Catedral is that several rooms were added to the side. One of the most beautiful was the Chapter House. Again my lack of knowledge might mis serve me but I believe this is where Church leaders meet to discuss matter of Church business and any of the big discussion on local matter would take place here. The chapter house is made up of two rooms. The entry room itself was something to behold in itself with the intricate engravings on the wardrobe and ceiling.
Imidiately after leaving the Chapter House. I was presented with El Transparente. As the audio guide told me this was an added feature to the original design to allow for more light to shine on the altar for the Sacraments. Its Boroque style contrasts the predominately Gothic features of Catedral.
The tabernacle altar itself, shinning in the light of the skylight was something to behold but even more impressive was the detailed work of the skylight.
The sculptures and paintings on the 100 ft high skylight were out of this world. It felt as if I was at the bottom of a cave with the opening shinning light down upon me, but instead of bats, stalagmites and rock there were beautiful sculptures of angels and the Saints looking down.
The next stop was the Sacristy. This room was where the church vestibules are stored. Vestibule is a fancy word for the Bishop and Priest's clothes, and other religious items for the Mass. As in the fashion of this grand Cathedral the first room did not contain clothes but instead was lined with works of art. Notably some works by El Greco, Anthony Van Dyck, and Goya. However the ceiling revealed the more awe inspiring work with such great depth. Again.. not the art critic but the ceiling was so grandiose and filled with intricate layers that I felt I was being sucked into heaven. Maybe I'm still just not used to European art, but I was impressed.
The attached room contained all the religious garments ever worn by the Church bishops. They were very well preserved behind glass cases but you could still see the detail in how they were sewn together. The audio tour mentioned that one of the reasons this Catedral is dedicated to Mary is because some time during the early years of the Church it is said that Mary came down from Heaven and gave the Bishop the first vestibules. By the looks of them they were definitely closed to what I would imagine Divinely inspired clothing would look like.
The Catedral also included several other altar pieces in the center of the grounds. The Retrable offered another striking piece of gothic style. With its detailed pictures of parts of Jesus's life the piece looked like a golden story book. Opposite of this was the choir seats. Normally my least favorite part of a cathedral the seat were great detailed and kept my attention for more than the normal amount of time I spend focused on them.
The outside of the catedral grounds included a small coutryard area that had been designated as the cloister for the Catdral. The hallways around this beautiful outdoor garden echoed in the large volume of space they consumed.
And finally the Treasure! Literally the room is called the Chapel of the Treasure and didn't disappoint The gold work of the Bible of Louis XI and other pieces like this crown. Toledo is known for its metal work and this room exemplified this notoriety.
The main piece by Toledo's famed goldsmith, Enrique De Arfe, was the center piece of the Treasure Chapel. Called Monstrance of Arfe it stood nearly ten feet tall behind a glass barrier. The gold, silver and gems almost made it hard to look at under the lighting. Its hard to imagine, but during the holiday of Corpus Chrispi the Monstrance of Arfe is taken out from the Catedral and paraded through the streets of Toledo.
To be Continued...
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