Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo
Even before walking in, the narrow street had a quartet playing outside with melancholy yet calming music echoing through the stone street.
We got some audio guides to provide more information. Joey found them very helpful.
"It's kind of some Englishy-Spanish, but I understood most of the words they were saying!" he reported enthusiastically. Dutifully, he listened to the entries in numerical order as he trotted throughout the enormous cathedral. He did seem to enjoy himself.
Sammy was less impressed but was able to appreciate how much I was in awe of the architecture, the opulence, and the history. He also really enjoyed the tessellated flagstone floor and refused to walk on the white tiles.
Sammy was less impressed but was able to appreciate how much I was in awe of the architecture, the opulence, and the history. He also really enjoyed the tessellated flagstone floor and refused to walk on the white tiles.
Words fail me (I know, surprising, right?) to properly describe this gorgeous, inspiring, humbling, and breathtaking building. Pictures also do not capture the full glory or historic weight but I'll try.
This Gothic masterpiece was started in 1226 and took a short 267 years to finish. The outside is tall, imposing, and beautiful.
Family picture that Sydney took from Plaza Ayuntamiento showing the front of the cathedral.
Once you step inside, the dim cathedral ambiance punctuated by the shafts of sunlight streaming through the stained glass encircling the cathedral far overhead.
It is massive inside. The nave is a large cross in design and it felt like two football fields could fit end to end easily within this cathedral. Sammy scampered off towards the pews in the far back (trying to avoid running on the white tiles) while Joey walked with Sydney toward the middle.
I caught up to Sammy near the western end which also housed all the gold work, jewels, and ornaments. This room sparkled more than rhinestone night at a Southern line dancing party http://www.christopherpageapparel.com/#!product/prd1/2366400191/i'm-a-line-dancing-sista
The crowns and scepters were encrusted with gems. Antique bibles were also there. The red velvet which they rested on cast an aura of warmth counterbalanced by the glinting of all the silver and gold. The other items in that small room paled in the shadow of The Great Monstrance of Arfe. Standing over 10 feet tall, this unique piece has 260 tiny figurines and is purported to have used gold brought back by Christopher Columbus.
http://jeannetifft.photoshelter.com/image/I0000QGbEbY4wcP0
From there we went into the choir area that had finely detailed carved wooden seats. Each seat had a different figurine carved into it and bespoke the time and attention to nearly every aspect of this place. I couldn't help but think of all the backsides that had polished that wood over the years and if this seat was more popular than some of the more ornate (i.e. pointy) ones.
Across from the choir was the retable, another incredible cascade of gold.
We also had a chance to enjoy the beautiful St. Christopher painting near the portal of the lions on the south side of the cathedral. Given my Dad has always worn his St. Christopher medal as he's the patron saint of traveler's, we wanted to have a shot of that for him:
Before we were completely overwhelmed by the grandeur, we walked into the Chapterhouse. Walking through the original portal which is over 500 years old to be greeted by paintings of Again, the carvings, the artwork, and the beauty took your breath away. They had paintings of all the archbishops and cardinals dating back to the very beginning.
Walking out of that room and back to the eastern end of the cathedral led us to another famous part of this cathedral, El Transparente. This Baroque piece is essentially the most astounding window meant to help allow light through the cathedral from a window in the outer walls through the Transparente and into the tabernacle. It is glorious.
It really was sensory overload walking through the inside. We went outside to the cloisters to get some sunlight and interior views of the cathedral.
The interior courtyard had a peaceful garden filled with orange trees laden with fruit. We enjoyed the view of the tower from this vantage as well as the frescoes.
Joey and I walked around and came upon an ancient wooden cart, complete with metal clad wooden wheels. He had completed the entire audio tour by this time and was up for playing. He pretended to be the horse in front of the cart.
And with that, we left this phenomenal building to explore the rest of Toledo.
This Gothic masterpiece was started in 1226 and took a short 267 years to finish. The outside is tall, imposing, and beautiful.
Family picture that Sydney took from Plaza Ayuntamiento showing the front of the cathedral.
Once you step inside, the dim cathedral ambiance punctuated by the shafts of sunlight streaming through the stained glass encircling the cathedral far overhead.
It is massive inside. The nave is a large cross in design and it felt like two football fields could fit end to end easily within this cathedral. Sammy scampered off towards the pews in the far back (trying to avoid running on the white tiles) while Joey walked with Sydney toward the middle.
I caught up to Sammy near the western end which also housed all the gold work, jewels, and ornaments. This room sparkled more than rhinestone night at a Southern line dancing party http://www.christopherpageapparel.com/#!product/prd1/2366400191/i'm-a-line-dancing-sista
The crowns and scepters were encrusted with gems. Antique bibles were also there. The red velvet which they rested on cast an aura of warmth counterbalanced by the glinting of all the silver and gold. The other items in that small room paled in the shadow of The Great Monstrance of Arfe. Standing over 10 feet tall, this unique piece has 260 tiny figurines and is purported to have used gold brought back by Christopher Columbus.
http://jeannetifft.photoshelter.com/image/I0000QGbEbY4wcP0
From there we went into the choir area that had finely detailed carved wooden seats. Each seat had a different figurine carved into it and bespoke the time and attention to nearly every aspect of this place. I couldn't help but think of all the backsides that had polished that wood over the years and if this seat was more popular than some of the more ornate (i.e. pointy) ones.
Across from the choir was the retable, another incredible cascade of gold.
We also had a chance to enjoy the beautiful St. Christopher painting near the portal of the lions on the south side of the cathedral. Given my Dad has always worn his St. Christopher medal as he's the patron saint of traveler's, we wanted to have a shot of that for him:
Before we were completely overwhelmed by the grandeur, we walked into the Chapterhouse. Walking through the original portal which is over 500 years old to be greeted by paintings of Again, the carvings, the artwork, and the beauty took your breath away. They had paintings of all the archbishops and cardinals dating back to the very beginning.
Walking out of that room and back to the eastern end of the cathedral led us to another famous part of this cathedral, El Transparente. This Baroque piece is essentially the most astounding window meant to help allow light through the cathedral from a window in the outer walls through the Transparente and into the tabernacle. It is glorious.
It really was sensory overload walking through the inside. We went outside to the cloisters to get some sunlight and interior views of the cathedral.
The interior courtyard had a peaceful garden filled with orange trees laden with fruit. We enjoyed the view of the tower from this vantage as well as the frescoes.
Joey and I walked around and came upon an ancient wooden cart, complete with metal clad wooden wheels. He had completed the entire audio tour by this time and was up for playing. He pretended to be the horse in front of the cart.
And with that, we left this phenomenal building to explore the rest of Toledo.
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