Toledo: an historical and descriptive account of the "City of generations"Calvert, Albert Frederick
History
Toledo: an historical and descriptive account of the "City of generations"
Calvert, Albert Frederick
Art -- Spain -- Toledo; Toledo (Spain) -- Description and travel; Toledo (Spain) -- History
As in all other Spanish cities, after their reacquisition by the
Christians, in Toledo, for many, many years, Moorish architects and
masons continued to be employed even in the construction of sacred
edifices. This accounts for the mixed Christian and Saracenic style of
several of the churches, even where these had not originally been
mosques. The interesting church of San Román had been a Mohammedan
temple remodelled to the requirements of Christian worship, while the
tower or steeple is a Mudejar work added by Esteban Illán, and (to quote
Mr. Street), “the finest example of its class to be seen here.” The
steeple is of rough stone and brick, of a warm brown tone, and quite
plain for more than half its height. The upper stages are pierced with
windows which exhibit a very ungraceful trefoiled variation of the
horseshoe arch--then fast dying out. Notwithstanding, the steeple has a
noble and rugged appearance, like most things Toledan. The church itself
has been so often restored, that it is hard to assign it to any one
epoch. The Capilla Mayor is of the sixteenth century, and of the
plateresque style. One of the altars has a front of black stone, carved
at the edges in imitation of an altar-cloth with embroidery and lace.
Here and there traces may be detected of the original mosque. The
steeples of the churches of Santa Magdalena, Santo Tomé, San Pedro
Martir, San Miguel, Santa Leocadia, and La Concepcion, resemble that of
San Román, but differ greatly in size.
The minor churches of Toledo are not specially interesting. Without the
walls, however, is one with noteworthy characteristics. The little
“basilica” of the Cristo de la Vega occupies the site of the famous
church of St. Leocadia, built by the Visigothic King, Sisebuth, in the
seventh century, to mark the place of the virgin saint’s martyrdom.
Several of the great councils were held here. The story is told that the
saint appeared in person here to St. Ildefonso, in the presence of King
Recceswinth, and having expressed her satisfaction at the theologian’s
masterly defence of the virginity of the Blessed Virgin, allowed him,
with the royal dagger, to cut off a piece of her veil as a souvenir of
her visit. This event naturally raised the “basilica” in the estimation
of the devout. It was demolished by the Moors, and restored in 1162. It
underwent many restorations and was finally ruined by the French during
the War of Independence. The present edifice represents little more than
the apse of the chapel of the Cristo de la Vega. There was a miraculous
crucifix, attached to which is a particularly silly legend. Two lovers
had plighted their troth before the image, and the man afterwards denied
the promise. The girl adjured the Christ to bear witness to the truth of
her statement, and the figure obligingly extended a wooden arm while a
voice from on high proclaimed, “_I testify._” Another version has it
that the figure testified in favour of a Christian who (_mirabile
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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