The visit can be started in the historic centre of the city where most of the city bus lines converge, the Plaza de Zocodover. This name is a Spanish rendering of an Arabic term meaning a livestock market. The square, which was built during the period of Roman domination, is almost triangular in shape and has hardly changed in structure since the Middle Ages. From here via the Cuesta de Carlos V the Alcázar or citadel can be reached, from where the line of the city walls of Roman Toledo began. Alfonso VI rebuilt it during the Reconquest and Alfonso X the Wise finished off one of its façades with circular towers in the 13th century. In the time of Charles V it would become the Royal Palace with the help of the architects Covarrubias and Juan de Herrera until the court was established definitively in Madrid. It currently houses the Army Museum in one of its rooms (close under refurbishment).

Alcazar (citadel)

Starting from the Alcázar, we will stroll through the streets to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, where stands the Cathedral initiated in 1226 on the largest mosque in the city during the reign of Fernando III. It is constructed in pure Gothic style and its main façade stands out with its Torre de las Campanas ("tower of the bells") and its three gateways, the Puerta de Chapinería or Puerta del Reloj (which faces north) where part of the original rose window can be appreciated, and the Transparente (the part behind the main altar) built by Narciso Tomé. The Treasure Room, the Chapter House, the Choir, and the Sacristy are open to the public Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:30, and on Sundays and holidays from 14:00 to 18:30. The entrance to the Cathedral Museums is opposite the Puerta Llana ( adults 7 €, children under 12 free, free for Spanish citizens on Sunday afternoons). By following the Calle de Pozo Amargo we come to the Palacio del Rey Don Pedro, an ancient Mudejar construction; and to the church of San Andrés, a replica of that of San Juan de los Reyes, which contains Visigothic pilasters and Renaissance altarpieces. In Calle de Santo Tomé, near the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, stands the church of Santo Tomé, the Palacio Fuensalida, and the Taller del Moro or "workshop of the Moor". The church of Santo Tomé, rebuilt in the 14th century under the orders of the Count of Orgaz, contains one of the most famous paintings of El Greco: the Funeral of the Count of Orgaz. It is located in the chapel of Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo, known as the Señor de Orgaz ( on winter from 10:00 to 18:00, on summer from 10:00 to 19:00; adults 2.30 €).

Funeral of the Count of Orgaz, from El Greco

The Taller del Moro is a civil building in the Mudejar style built in the 14th century that houses a collection of Toledo ceramics and tiling from the 14th and 15th centuries, as well as woodcraft of the period. The Palacio Fuensalida was built in the mid-15th century by the first count of Fuensalida and became the residence of Charles V's wife, Isabel of Portugal. Nearby in the heart of the Jewish quarter can be found the museum and house of El Greco where the popular artist lived. It is decorated and furnished in the style of the 16th and 17th centuries, which suggests that it was a well-to-do house of the period. Moreover, several works of El Greco are exhibited here such as Saint Bernardino, the View and Plan of Toledo, and the Saviour ( Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00 and on Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00; 2.40 €). Very close to it stands the Sinagogue of the Transit, the construction of which was ordered between the years 1336 and 1357 by Samuel Ha Levi in the Toledo Mudejar style. In 1494 the building became a hospital and refuge for knights from the Order of Calatrava, and during the 16th century it became a church. The building houses the Sephardic Museum, which is divided into five rooms exhibiting historical and religious aspects, together with those reflecting the local customs, of Toledo's Jewish past ( From 1 December to 14 February Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 14:00, from 15 February to 30 November Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 21:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 14:00; adults 2.40 €, reduced 1.20 €). The Calle de la Judería leads us to the Sinagogue of Santa María la Blanca -in Reyes Católicos, 4- which according to an inscription was built in the year 1180, converted into a Christian temple in the 13th century, and also used for other purposes. An example of Spanish Almohad art, the building consists of five naves separated by horseshoe arches and three chancels containing an altarpiece attributed to Berruguete or to Juan de Borgoña ( daily from 1 October to 31 March 10:00 to 18:00 and from 1 April to 30 September 10:00 to 19:00; 2.30 €).

Cloister of San Juan de los Reyes

Some metres further on, next to the School of Arts and Trades, we come to the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes -in San Juan de los Reyes, 2- which was erected by the Catholic Monarchs to commemorate the battle of Toro in 1476. The work of Juan Guas, the complex is a magnificent example of Spanish-Flemish Gothic art, of which the single-nave church is a noteworthy example. It is characterised by the numerous motifs related to the Catholic Monarchs, such as the cloister adorned with plants and fantastic animals ( daily from 10:30 to 14:00 and from 15:30 to 18:00; 2.30 €). We can approach the Bridge of San Martín, which dates from 1203 and from where a magnificent view of the river Tagus and Toledo can be enjoyed, before visiting the Cambrión Gate which has been identified as the Gate of the Jews mentioned in the 12th century. It originally consisted of two towers flanking the gate, to which two further towers were subsequently added to form an inner patio. Other gateways to the city are the Puerta Nueva de Bisagra, the Puerta Vieja de Bisagra, and the Puerta del Sol. From the last of these (in the north of the historical centre of the city) we will visit the mosque of the Cristo de la Luz -in Cuesta de los Carmelitas Descalzos, 10- which dates from the 10th century under Arab domination. Small in size, the building is square with a caliphal ribbed vault and horseshoe arches, although it also contains later Christian elements such as the transept and an apse ( daily on winter from 10:00 to 17:40, on summer from 10:00 to 18:40; adults 2.30 €, reduced 2 €, free access on Wednesday from 16:00 to European Union citizens).