Cathedral of Toledo
Encyclopedia
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain
, seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo
.
The cathedral of Toledo is one of the three XIII century High Gothic
cathedrals in Spain and is considered to be the pinnacle of the Gothic style in Spain. It was begun in 1226 under the rule of Ferdinand III
and the last Gothic contributions were made in XV century when, in 1493, the vaults of the central nave were finished, during the times of the Catholic Monarchs
. It was modeled after Bourges Cathedral, although its five naves plan is the consequence of the constructors' intention to cover all of the sacred space of the former city mosque
with the cathedral, and of the former sahn
with the cloister
. It also combines some characteristics of the Mudéjar
style, mainly in the cloister, and with the presence of multifoiled arches in the triforium
. The spectacular incorporation of light and the structural achievements of the ambulatory
vault
s are some of its more remarkable aspects. It is built with white stone from Olihuelas, close to Toledo.
It is popularly known as Dives Toletana (meaning Toledan tycoon).
The city had been the episcopal seat of Visigothic Spain. The numerous Councils of Toledo
attest to its important ecclesiastical past. Also, the abjuration of Arianism
on the part of Reccared
had its time and place there. The Muslim
invasion did not immediately eliminate the Christian mark and the bishop remained established in the church of Saint Mary of Alfizén.
The Visigothic temple was torn down into in the main mosque
of the city of Toledo. Some investigators point out that the prayer hall of the mosque corresponds with the layout of the five naves of the current cathedral, the shan would coincide with part of the current cloister and the chapel of Saint Peter and the minaret
with the belltower. With certain archeological data it is possible to observe an Islamic column mounted inside of the chapel of Saint Lucy, the marble shafts that decorate the exterior of the choir are an improvement of an old Muslim construction, the intertwined arches of caliphate style in the triforium of the main chapel and of the ambulatory, coincide with the Muslim construction tradition of Cordova
.
and the abbot of the monastery of Sahagún
Bernard of Sedirac (or Bernard of Cluny), who had been elevated to the rank of archbishop of Toledo. These two, in mutual accord and taking advantage of the absence of the king, undertook an unfortunate act which, as told by the priest Mariana
in his General History of Spain, was almost at the point of provoking a uprising and the ruin of the recently-conquered city.
On 25 October 1087, the archbishop (in accordance with the queen Constance) sent an armed contingent to seize the mosque by force. They proceeded to install a provisional altar and hung a bell in the minaret, following the Christian custom to cast out the filthiness of the law of Mohammed. The priest Mariana writes that king Alfonso VI was so irritated with these events, that neither the archbishop nor the queen were able to stop him from ordering the execution of all the active participants. Legend holds that the local Muslim populace helped restore peace, with the negotiator and faqih
Abu Walid beckoning the king to be tolerant, and asserting that his fellow townsmen accepted the usurpation as legitimate. In memory and gratitude of this gesture, the Chapter
dedicated a homage to Walid and ordered for an effigy to be placed on one of the pillars in the main chapel, this way perpetuating his memory. As a consequence of that incident, the Toledan mosque remained consecrated and converted into a Christian cathedral.
Plans of what was once the mosque have not been preserved nor is it known how this building appeared, but taking into account the preserved vestiges in other cities (Seville
, Jaén
, Granada
, Málaga
including the Mosque of Cordova
) it can be supposed that it was a columnary building, with horseshoe arcade
s on top of columns perhaps improved up other Roman and Visigothic construction. It is possible that it appeared very much like the church of the Savior of Toledo, previously a mosque.
King Alfonso VI made important donations to the new temple. On 18 December 1086, the cathedral was placed under the advocacy of María
and it was granted villas, hamlets, mills and one third of the revenues of all the rest of the church of the city. The first royal privilege that is preserved is a prayer in Latin
, beginning:
Urban II
recognized in 1088 this church as the primate cathedral over the rest of the kingdom. The mosque-cathedral remained intact until XIII century, the year of 1222, until a bull
from the Pope
authorized to start off the works of the new cathedral which were initiated in 1224 (or 1225) and whose official ceremony of the placement of the first stone took place in 1226 (other sources say 1227), with the presence of King Ferdinand the Saint
. Throughout XIII century, the cathedral's income tax was raised upon integrating into its patrimony Alcalá de Henares
.
. He was so enthusiastic with the project and he involved himself so much in it that it was later falsely rumored that he was the author-architect of the cathedral. The archbishop spent a few years maintaining and reinforcing the old temple in hopes that his dream would be realized.
The structure of the building is greatly influenced by the French Gothic of XIII century, but adapted to Spanish taste. It measures 120 metres (393.7 ft) in length by 59 metres (193.6 ft) in width and 44.5 metres (146 ft) high. It consists of five naves with transept
and double ambulatory, transepts and a double ambulatory. The outer naves present an odd anomaly in being a little wider than the other two. The oldest part of the temple is the sanctuary, which maintains in its architecture the original triforia
that extended along the length of the naves and were removed in one of the many reforms and evolutions that the cathedral underwent. Still in the Gothic period, these triforia were replaced with large stained-glass windows. Those triforia that survive of the sanctuary are of mudéjar
influence. The lowest section is made of cusped arches that rest on paired columns and the upper section presents interlaced arches typical of mudéjar. It is not known if these mudéjar themes existed in the previous mosque and were copied as a reminder or if they were added in one of the improvements and enrichments of the stonework, as something original and tasteful.
In the sanctuary, one encounters the double ambulatory, which is double as would correspond to a ground plan of 5 naves. This double ambulatory is of grand proportions and is enriched with architectural elements and an original vaulting. The sections of the chapel were solved with alternate plans of rectangles and triangles, which made for each chapels to be of a different size, rectangular plans being larger and triangular plans smaller. This method of distributing the sanctuary can be seen in the French cathedrals of Notre Dame in Paris, Bourges and Le Mans
, the last cathedral being the most similar in appearance although the three are slender, as a whole, than the Spanish cathedral. The various reforms that were made over time altered the arrangement of some of the chapels, for example, in one case only one chapel was reconstructed in the space of three.
The vaults
of the naves are quadripartite except for those of the transept and the chancel which are reinforced with tiercerons.
Towards the middle of XX century, the bishop of Ciudad Real
investigated to the bottom of this theme and brought to light a series of documents which came to demonstrate existence of a first master prior to Petrus Petri called master Martín, married with María Gómez, certainly of French origin, called for by Ximénez de Rada. One of the documents is dated to 1227 and names "a master Martín of the work of Saint Mary of Toledo". Another document where a list of income collected by the cathedral is listed in 1234 gives anew the name of "Master Martín of the work", of whom it is also written to be tenant of a house pertaining to the cathedral. In writings of later years appear the names of Martín (bricklayer
) and Juan Martín (master of bricklayers), who are believed to be relatives of each other. No new documents have appeared, so at the present time this master Martín is held as first architect. To this argument it must be added that the date of beginning of the construction figures incorrectly with the age of Petrus Petri who during those years must have been too young to be architect.
The studies released after this discovery indicates that the master Martín would be the author of the chapels of the ambulatory and upon his departure by death or by absence the weight of the direction of the works was taken up by master Petrus who finished the ambulatories and constructed the triforia in Toledan style. Towards the end of XIII century, the sanctuary and two sections of the naves of the south side were concluded.
Towards the end of XIV century the person of a master Rodrigo Alfonso appears to be documented, who put the first stone of the cloister in 1389, under the patronage of the bishop Pedro Tenorio who died 10 years later. This archbishop occupied himself with many works of the cathedral, such as the chapel of Saint Blaise
in the cloister which is famous for artistic richness of its frescos from the school of Siena
.
The next master of whom there is information was Alvar Martínez (in other cases González), who was quantity surveyor of the quarries Olihuelas at the boundary of Olías del Rey. He is the author of the west facade whose construction was begun in 1418. The changes made in 1787 make it so that one cannot envision how this facade really was in its origin. He was also the author of the only tower of the cathedral, in times of archbishop Juan Martínez de Contreras, whose coat of arms appears in the frieze that crowns the first section. The crowning of the tower was done by another great master: Hanequin de Bruselas, who moulded the coat of arms of the next archbishop Juan de Cerezuela. With Hanequin came a group of illustrious masters: Egas Cueman, Enrique Egas, Juan Guas, who worked on fronts, chapels, and sumptuary works putting an end to the Gothic work with their labor. The vaults of the at the footing of the central nave were closed in 1493, under the direction of Juan Guas and Enrique Egas, with the patronage and supervision of Cardinal Mendoza
.
was built in Renaissance
style. This excellent work is attributed to Domenico Fancelli.
Later Cardinal Cisneros occupied the post. Under his influence and sponsorship important works were made (perhaps the most important work was the Mozarabic chapel), realized by masters of the stature of Juan Francés (grill of the Mozarabic chapel), Enrique Egas, Juan de Borgoña
(pictures of the Mozarabic chapel) and its main master Pedro de Gumiel. Cisneros also ordered the magnificent main retable to be built, work of Diego Copín de Holanda and the high cloister for the canonical community, plus the library. He was followed by Guillermo de Croy, Flemish, who never resided in Toledo. Alfonso de Fonseca y Acevedo (who had been archbishop of Santiago de Compostela
) was the promoter of the New Kings chapel, work of the architect Alonso de Covarrubias with paintings from Mariano Salvador Maella
(XVIII century).
With bishop Juan Tavera, Toledan Renaissance is found in its grand splendor. Under his governance, the magnificent chorus of Alonso Berruguete
and Felipe Vigarny, the interior facades of the transept, the chapel of Saint John or of the Treasure and other facades and adornments were constructed. With Juan Martínez Siliceo, the cathedral was seen adorned with the splendid grill of the main chapel, work of Francisco de Villalpando.
Cardinal Gaspar de Quiroga was responsible for the architectural complex of the chapel of the Tabernacle, Reliquary and the courtyard and house of the treasurer. The appearances and plans were from the main master Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo
. To construct this complex, the Hospital of the King was grought down and raised again in its former site, works that come to an end with the great cardinal Bernardo de Sandoval y Rojas and with the architect Nicolás de Vergara in XVII century.
The main facade faces onto an irregular square containing the town hall and Archbishop's Palace. To the left is the bell tower and to the right the projecting Mozarab
ic chapel that occupies the place where the second tower was to be built.
To the left of the main facade rises the only tower of the cathedral. The dome
that is seen to the right belongs to the Mozarabic chapel which was ordered to be constructed by cardinal Cisneros. The tower has two parts: the lower part, of square cross-section, was designed by Alvar Martínez; the upper, octagonal part corresponds to Hanequin de Buselas. It is topped by a spire.
The main facade has three doorways, known as, respectively, Puerta del Perdón (Door of Forgiveness, in the centre), Puerta del Juicio Final (Door of the Last Judgment, to the right) and Puerta del Infierno (the Door of Hell
, to the left). The Door of Forgiveness is of XV century: it was begun, under the direction of Alvar Matinez in 1418. It is so called because there was a time indulgences were granted to penitents who entered through it. These days it is always closed and is only used on special occasions and when the new archbishop takes charge of the primate cathedral. It has one great arch with six Gothic archivolt
s. The decoration consists of typical Gothic iconography, with the figure of the Saviour in the mullion
and an apostolates in the jambs. In the tympanum
, the Virgin gives the chasuble
to Saint Ildephonsus
, a particularly special theme for the cathedral which is repeated in the interior in the chapels and paintings. The leaves of the door measure more than 5 meters in height and are covered by elaborately fashioned bronze plates, which are from XIV century. The door of the Last Judgement is the oldest of the three, and represents, as its name suggests, the Last Judgment.
The door Hell, in contrast, does not contain figurative motives, only floral decoration. It is also known as the door of the Tower or of the Palms as it used to be reserved as an entrance for the procession of the palms on Palm Sunday
.
The facade was modified in 1787 by the architect Eugene Durango under the orders of Cardinal Lorenzana. The sculptor was Mariano Salvatierra. The work was necessary because of the deterioration of the stone, which was not of good quality. It is possible that the doors were to be brought forward between buttresses instead of their current position, but it is not known for certain.
The tympanum
is divided into four horizontal panels, in which there are scenes from the life of Christ: the Annunciation
, the Nativity
, the Adoration of the Magi, the Massacre of the Innocents
, Flight into Egypt
, the Circumcision of Jesus
, the Finding in the Temple
, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Baptism
and the Marriage at Cana
. In the upper part of the tympanum, the Death of the Virgin
is depicted. The column-mullion is decorated with an image of the Virgin and Child. In the jambs are images of kings and saints, all of which are the work of the sculptor Juan Alemán who also worked on the door of the Lions.
Above this doorway is the later work of Gregorio López Durango, whose work is also seen on the main facade. It is consolidation work needed because of the bad state of the stone. The central intercolumniation above the door is occupied by the face of the clock that gives its name to the door. The door and its surroundings form a very appealing space with a small compass enclosed by a Gothic grill, the work of Juan Francés, with very simple crosspieces, a small, carved frieze with a separation in the center, and a simple and harmonious cresting.
Inside are diverse medallions; the best are those of the Virgin of the Annunciation of Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo and of the Archangel Saint Gabriel of Juan Bautista Vázquez. It is also adorned with paintings and coats of arms. Above is the rose window of XIII century that contains the oldest stained glass of the cathedral.
The Door of the Lions was built in XV and XVI centuries. Is the most modern of the great doors. It is so named because of the lions that crown the columns of the grill that encloses the small compass. In addition, it has two other names:
It was constructed between the years 1460 and 1466, under the mandate of Archbishop Alfonso Carrillo de Acuña; with designs from Hanequin of Brussels, also known as Anequín de Egas Cueman, and Enrique de Egas Cueman, his son, in collaboration with the Flemish sculptors Pedro and Juan Guas and Juan Alemán, author of the Apostolate. These artists were at the front of a great studio that included prestigious stonemasons and carvers.
The statuary of the door is one of the best Hispano-Flemish collections of XV century, above all the Virgin of the column-mullion and the statues of the jambs. The cherub
im and musical angels that accompany the ascension of Mary to the sky are works of art executed with great delicacy. The facade was altered by Durango and Salvatierra, same as in the other doors, to fund the building. The bronze leaves of the doors are a masterpiece by Francisco de Villalpando, who made a great work on the 35 panels or plates. They are hidden from view, protected with wood panels. On top is the great rose window of polychromatic stained glass.
The interior of the door corresponds to the great front of the transept on its southern side on top of which rests the small balcony with balustrade that corresponds to the tribune where the organ of the Emperor is located. Higher up is the great rose window
, surrounded by a frame with its pendentives decorated with rosaceae.
In the lower part of the great front is the door divided by a column-mullion
. Above the door is the tympanum sculpted with themes of the genealogy of the Virgin whose authors were the same who worked on the exterior of this door. On top of the tympanum is the plateresque
work in with a great medallion of the Coronation of the Virgin in the center, work of Gregorio Pardo (eldest son of Felipe Vigarny). On both sides are the statues of David
and Solomon
, attributed to Esteban Jamete.
To the right and left of this front are two sepulchres. The one on the right is empty (it is believed that it was prepared to receive the remains of Brother Bartolomé Carranza
); that of the left holds the remains of Canon Alfonso de Rojas, represented in a praying statue.
The grill was made a century after the great grills of the main chapel and of the choir, in a style completely different than these, which gave way to solidity and utility more than to the taste for ornamentation as demonstrated in the earlier century. Its author was Juan Álvarez de Molina, native of Úbeda
(Jaén
), who made the grill in the city of Toledo in 1647. The documents preserved to this respect say that the grillworker received 8,504 reales and 12 maravedís, and the 27,000 that had been given to him earlier. The document gives account of the cost of the iron employed by the grillworker which totaled to practically the quantity received for the work.
style, of the year 1800. It is the only entrance door to the cathedral that is level with the ground, without steps, so giving it its name. Through this door it was customary for processions to exit.
s are carved with vegetable motifs of leaves and foliage. The pillar that makes the mullion is greatly carved on its side faces, with castles and lions. In its interior, it has two sections. The higher section is ornamented with a series of statues with small dossals.
Originally it was planned to raise two simmetric towers on each side of the west facade, but once the one at the northern corner was raised and planned for southern, it was found out there infirm terrain due to an underground water stream. In that place was latter raised the Mozarabic chapel.
The tower was designed and constructed by Alvar Martínez; it is Gothic, with some decorative mudéjar influence and reaches a top height of 92 m. (301 ft). By an elevated base of squared plan are superimposed four bodies and the fifth being of a smaller height. Even this body is the work of the master Martínez. Between the first and the second body a frieze of black marble unfolds horizontally where in white marble are the coats of arms of Archbishop Juan Martínez de Contreras, whose mandate was from 1422 until 1438. On that date of 1422 the work of Martínez, who did not leave any project to continue the crowning, was to be finished. The top of the tower with the octagonal body was then work of the architect Hanequin de Bruselas who arrived to work on this cathedral together with a group of great figures: Egas Cueman, Enrique Egas and Juan Guas among others. The octagonal body is accompanied by pinnacles and buttress
arches and is topped with a spire that supports three crowns imitating a papal tiara
.
Also in its original state, the chapel was closed laterally by two magnificent "grills" of stone, which were like enormous gates. The ambo
corresponding to the Gospel was demolished to make the mausoleum of cardinal Mendoza. The ambo corresponding to the Epistle remains and by this it can be deduced that it was part of a great work. Some art critics assure that this stone grill is the most beautiful part of the cathedral. It is possible that it was finished being built at the time of archbishop Pedro de Luna whose polychromatic shield and coat of arms of Castile and León are shown in this work. It is abundantly decorated by statuary and finished off by a choir of angels that appear to be flying. In harmony with this work of fretted stone, the two pillars that give passage to the interior of the chapel were built. On the left pillar the statue of the famous pastor who (according to the legend) provided information in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
; the other pillar is called Faqih's Pillar because of the statue of Abu Walid who brought king Alfonso VI a message of tolerance (see the this section).
All of the presbyterium is carved and chiselled with figures from all sizes and mythological figures. On the polygonal part on one side and the other are the sepulchres highly decorated and with recumbent statues of Alfonso VII and doña Berenguela
, Sancho III of Castile
the Desired and Sancho IV
the Brave. The images of the monarchs are made in wood carved by Copín de Holanda and polychromed by Francisco de Amberes
.
(quilting
and polychromy
), Rodrigo Alemán, Felipe Vigarny, Diego Copín de Holanda y Sebastián de Almonacid (religious images), and Petit Juan or Peti Joan or Petit Jean (carving and filigree
).
The retable includes an important statuary and a magnificent and delicate filigree of balusters, spires, small dossals, chambranles, all work by Petit Juan. It contains a continuous altar and predella
, five bays, the center bay being the widest, and five stories with a line of separation not horizontal but stair-stepped. The themes of the central bay from bottom to top are: figure of a seated Virgin with Baby plated in silver (on the predella). Above this is the tabernacle, a Gothic monstrance carved in wood. Above is the theme of the Nativity and higher than Ascension. This culminates with a monumental Calvary. In the other bays are distributed the themes of the life and passion of Jesus.
, was surrounded by a halo of holiness to be sure those present had seen a sparkling white cross at the time of his death.
This was the first Castilian Renaissance sepulchre. The structure is an open, central arch and two smaller arches, carved on two fronts and through which the tomb can be seen from inside and outside, following a model of a Roman type triumphal arch which at that time shocked those who assisted in its construction, as much for its spectacular form as for abandoning the Gothic style which until that moment was considered adequate. The authorship of the work is not clear, though it is attributed to the Florentine Jacopo d'Antonio Sansovino who later worked in the Portuguese court with a similar style.
The impact on other later works was enormous: the sepulchres of Fadrique of Portugal, Pedro López de Ayala or Fernando de Arce, among others, were partial imitations of this new model.
The rest were modified or removed, even though in some the opening can be recognized: six small chapels of the ambulatory gave way in the 14th and 15th centuries to the funeral chapels of Saint Ildephonsus and Saint James; that of Christ of the Column (also called of Saint Bartholomew) was transformed at the beginning of XVII century to give way to that of Christ of the Students (or Christ of the Covers); those of Saint Barbara, of Saint Nicholas, of Saint Elizabeth and of the Holy Trinity were integrated into other structures although some details permit their earlier existence to be recognized.
After the various actions, there can be found the aforementioned Chapels of the Old Monarchs, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Leocadia and Saint Lucy, including that of Saint Eugene, of Saint Blaise -incorporated into the cloister-, of Saint Peter and of the New Monarchs.
In the different remodelings and works, almost always the criterion of advancing from the sanctuary of the cathedral towards the wall, which explains the current layout, sometimes chaotic, with respect to the early designs. The first name of the chapel of the Old Monarchs is unknown. The current name has its origin in 1498 when Cardinal Cisneros wanted to transfer the royal tombs from the main chapel, which in the end was never done. In XIII century, this served as funeral parlor to house the mortal remains of Archbishop González Díaz Palomeque. The chapel of Saint Lucy constitutes one of the few spaces where remains of the old mosque can be appreciated and, in concrete, a column and its capital.
The chapel of Saint Eugene (also called of Saint Peter the Old or of the Corpus Christi), is located on the south side, and retains all of the architectural style of XIII century in difference to the rest of the cathedral. The chapel of Saint Peter is the largest and covers the functions of parochial chapel. The cathedral has a heptogonal sanctuary, with two rows with tierceron vaults, and its purpose, having been built at the beginning of XV century, was to serve as funeral chapel to Archbishop Sancho de Rojas.
. Centuries earlier, in 20 March 1101, King Alfonso VI had given privileges in exchange for tribute to the Mozarabes of Toledo. In 1371, King Henry II confirmed this privilege. Cisneros seems to have aimed to conciliate the wishes of a small subset of the faithful, by founding this chapel, and also encouraging the restoration and publishing of codexes, breviaries and misals for this rite. A great sum (3800 gold florins) was raised, suggesting there were sufficient local patrons in town for the effort. Services in mozarabic rite are still performed in this chapel.
The chapel design encompasses a square floor plan under an octagonal cupola. A coffered ceiling of Mozarabic style has been lost (perhaps in the fire in 1620, or by later remodeling). The current cupola was designed in XVII century by the son of El Greco
,named Jorge Manuel Theotocopoulus; it sports eight panels and a lantern. In the interior, Cisneros commissioned Juan de Borgoña
, to depict highlights of the conquest of Oran
.
The Gothic ironwork screen was fashioned by Juan Francés (1524), and incorporates among its ornamental elements, the coats of arms of Cisneros. The mosaic Crucifix is from XVIII century. It is said that it was brought from Rome and that the ship was shipwrecked, leaving the image for a time at the bottom of the sea. The crucifix is made of a single piece, carved in Mexican fennel root. Another Gothic screen, work of the Toledan Julio Pascual, separates the choir from the rest of the room.
The Chapter wanted to change the location of this chapel to clear the nave and Archbishop Alfonso de Fonseca y Acevedo asked for permission of the position corresponding to the emperor. But the difficulty was finding a suitable site, which was finally solved thanks to the talent and ability of its architect.
More than a chapel, it can considered as a small church, of one nave with two sections and a polygonal apse, including a sacristy and an entrance vestubule, original design by Covarrubias. It was built between 1531 and 1534. It is the first great work from Covarrubias in Toledo.
The two sections of the nave have Gothic cross vaults but all of the ornamentation and carving of the sepulchres are Renaissance. They are separated by the grill from Domingo de Céspedes. The first section forms the body of the small church with some altars and in the second section is where the transferred royal tombs are found and placed in Renaissance vaulted tombs, work by Covarrubias. On one side is Henry II and his wife Juana Manuel
and in front of them, and in sarcophagi, Henry III the Infirm and Katherine of Lancaster. The praying statue of John II is also located here, whose tomb is in the Chapterhouse of Miraflores in Burgos
.
Through the arch that gives access to the presbyterium are two small altars, Neo-Classical work. The main altar is by Mateo Medina. It has a painting by Maella with the theme of the Descension, framed by two Corinthian columns. On both sides of this altar are the tombs with the respective praying statues of John I
and his wife Eleanor of Aragon.
As a historical memorial, the armor of second lieutenant Duarte de Almeida, who fought in the battle de Toro (where he lost both arms, being made prisoner by the troops of the Catholic Monarchs in 1476), are kept in this chapel.
Chapel of the Conception: is accessed by a grill of much artistic value, which incorporates the coat of arms of the Salcedo family, this because the chapel was funddd in 1502 by Juan de Salcedo, apostolic prothonotary and Toledan canon. In its retable are paintings by Francisco de Amberes and in the left side the sepulchre of the patron.
Chapel of Saint Martin: is also closed by a good grill, signed by Juan Francés with the following signature: "Juan Francés, high master of grills"
The chapel has a good retable where it is believed the masters Juan de Borgoña
and Francisco de Amberes worked. It is divided into three bays and five stories. The central table represents the namesake Saint Martin of Tours
and it is believed that Andrés Florentino worked on this. On the sides are the sepulchres with bulks of recumbent statues under the royal tombs of the canons Tomás González de Villanueva and Juan López de León.
Chapel of Saint Eugene: has the uniqueness of retaining the original architecture from XIII century. It is closed by a grill very similar to the others signed by Juan Francés. In the retablo
is the image of the namesake saint, archbishop of Toledo, work of Copín de Holanda. This chapel guards a piece unique for its date and for its art. This is the sepulchre of the Bailiff of Toledo called Fernán Gudiel, who died in 1278. This is a mudéjar work, without architecture nor sculpture, simply with decoration of plasterwork in which blotches (or geometric themes) predominate. The royal tomb is delimited by two double columns that protrude from the upper frieze or cornice adorned with mocárabes. Lining this cornice is an inscription in the Arabic language and characters which say in a repetitive manner: "The mother of God. To the Virgin Mary".
The other tomb is of the canon and bishop Ferdinand of Castillo, who died in 1521, work wholly by Alonso de Covarrubias.
Chapel of the Old Monarchs: the previous chapel with this name, funded by Sancho IV, was located in the high part of the presbyterium, where the sepulchrs of the monarchs are paid respect. Cardenal Cisneros dismantled it and ordered for it to be moved to the place is now occupys. It is closed with a good grill by Domingo de Céspedes. The chapel contains three interesting retables: the center retable has eleven good Hispano-Flemish tables and a relic of the Holy Face, present from Pope Innocent X, which King Philip IV ordered to be placed here.
Chapel of Saint Ann: with a good plateresque grill and the tomb of its sponsor Juan de Mariana. It is one of the smallest chapels.
Chapel of Saint John the Baptist: closed with a Gothic grill. Its sponsor was the archdeacon of Niebla
and canon of Toledo Fernando Díaz de Toledo. In the enclosure a relic with a valuable ivory statue of Christ is preserved. The chapel has a sacristy, with a space corresponding to what was the chapel of Saint Britus or Saint Bricius.
Chapel of Saint Giles: considered as a jewel, the chapel is very small. Its sponsor was Miguel Díaz, canon and apostolic notary, a man of refined taste in terms of art and who commissioned the entire interior be painted with a decoration of Pompeiian style, the style which at that time was fashionable in the Monastery of El Escorial
. The grill is also an example of good taste. On its interior, it has a small retable of various marblework.
ing of laceria which has as a finish a plateresque frieze. The entrance door to the Chapterhouse is also a mixture of mudéjar and plateresque, work by Bernardino Bonifacio de Tovar, built in 1510. This vestibule is furnished with good wardrobes designed by Gregorio Pardo.
Chapterhouse: from the part that acts as an ante-chapterhouse, this is accessed through a beautiful door with mudéjar decorations in the so-called Cisneros style. The chapterhouse was commissioned to be built abuting the apse by its south side, by cardinal Cisneros, during the year 1504. The plans were assigned to the architect Enrique Egas.
It is arectangular room with flat walls, with a ceiling covered with a good mudéjar-plateresque coffer
ing, work by Diego López and Francisco de Lara which they designed between 1508 and 1510. The frieze (also called alicer) has very rich plateresque ornamentation. The entire room is traversed by a wood pew which functions as the seat of honor for the prelates, save the archbishopric chair which is at the end of the room, at the center of the wall, and was carved by Copín de Holanda and finished in 1514. Above the seats of honor, in two rows and traversing the walls are all the portraits of the archbishops from Saint Eugene to the latest. The author of the portraits from Saint Eugene to Cisneros was Juan de Borgoña. Those of Sandoval and Rojas was work by Tristán; of Moscoso, by Ricci; of Iguanzo, by Vicente López.
Between the gallery of portraits and the frieze of the coffer
ing the walls are covered with fresco paintings. This constitutes as one of the great collections of Spanish wall paintings. The painted columns divide the panels where scenes of the life of the Virgin and of the Passion of Christ are represented. This is an exceptional work by Juan de Borgoña.
Capilla of Saint Ildephonsus: is situated in the center of the ambulatory and fronts the Transparente. It is consecrated under the protection of Saint Ildephonsus. Its construction dates from the end of XIV century, by expressed desire of Cardinal Gil Carrillo of Albornoz (as funeral chapel for himself and his family) which he did not see completed. Cardinal Albornoz died in Viterbo (Italy) in 1364 (or 1367) and his body was transferred to Toledo three years later, year in which his sepulchre was made which is shown in the center of this chapel.
The chapel occupied the space of three earlier chapels, one central chapel of a large size and two smaller side chapels. It is of octagonal plan, being one of the first chapels in which the model of eighths was used for funeral chapels.
In the central arch of the entrance is a painting with the portrait of Esteban Illán, who proclaimed Alfonso VIII as king of Castile and did this from the height of the tower of Saint Roman. The chapel cuenta with three styles of distantas periods: Gothic in the arches, vaults and a sepulchre; plateresue in the sepulchre of the bishop of Ávila; Neo-Classical in the central retable. This retable of XVIII century was made of marble, jasper and bronze. It was designed by Ventura Rodríguez
. The large relief of the center with the theme of the laying of hands of the chasuble on Saint Ildephonsus, built in marble, is work of Manuel Francisco Álvarez. It was completed during the time of Cardinal Lorenzana.
The sepulchre of Cardinal Gil Carrillo de Albornoz is in the center of the chapel, with Gothic decoration of small arches and lamenting figures on the four faces. To the right of the retable is the sepulchre of the bishop of Ávila Alonso Carrillo of Albornoz, who died in 1514. This is work of Vasco de la Zarza, Castilian Renaissance sculptor. This is considered the best work of the chapel. The remaining sepulchres are also tombs of the Albornoz family.
Chapel of Saint James: also called chapel of Álvaro de Luna for it was this historical figure who commissioned the chapel to be built and who funded it as a place of burial for himself and his family. It is one of the largest of the ambulatory, occupying the space of three of the old chapels, one large chapel and two small chapels. Its floor plan is in eight parts and very pure and select flamboyant style, of the best examples that exist in Spain. This style is reflected in the entrance arches with their openwork traceries and in the skylight of the blind arches of the interior, and the gables, ornaments (openwork and hanging festoon) and ribs that from the floor cross the vault forming a star. Nevertheless, in the exterior the features are austere, completely Hispanic. It faces the white and pleasant stone in the interior, here granite is used and the cupola tops off like a battlemented castle and with turrets.
In 1435, High Constable Álvaro de Luna was in full apogee of political power. He wanted his own funeral chapel in the primate cathedral for his burial and of his family and because of this he bought the earlier chapel of Saint Thomas of Canterbury which had been commissioned to be built in XII century by Queen Eleonor Plantagenet, this being the first chapel dedicated to this saint outside of England. It is known that Álvaro de Luna commissioned his sepulchre to be built while still alive for which a round figure of his person was made that consisted in a somewhat strange device because the bronze figure raised up and knelt down by means of a special mechanism at the moment at which the mass started. When he died, the chapel was still in construction so its completion was placed in care of his wife Juana de Pimentel and later of his daughter María de Luna who commissioned the sculpting the sarcophagi of her parents in 1498, probable date of the completion of the chapel. The construction was brought to completion by the great team of Hanequin de Bruselas.
The retable is Gothic, work of Pedro de Gumiel with 14 panels painted by Sancho of Zamora. He was contracted by María de Luna in 1488. In the center is the statue of Saint James, work of Juan de Segovia. In the center of the predella is represented the scene of the Weeping Before a Dead Christ and to his sides are the high constable and his wife as patrons accompanied by Saint Francis and Saint Anthony.
The two sepulchres that are in the center of the chapel corresponde to the High Constable Álvaro de Luna and to his wife Juana de Pimentel. The reclining figures are Hispano-Flemish sculptures of Pablo Ortiz. The praying figures of the corners are of high quality. On the sepulchre of the high constable are knights of Saint James and on that of his wife are Franciscan frairs.
In the roya tombs are the burials of Juan de Luna (son of the high constable), Álvaro de Luna (father of the high constable), the archbishop Juan of Cerezuela (brother of the high constable) and archbishop Pedro de Luna (uncle of the high constable). At the present time, this mausoleum pertains to the dukes of the Infante who has his own funeral crypt below the chapel.
Chapel of Saint Leocadia: has a lattice of flamboyant rock. It serves as a funeral chapel for the canon Juan Ruiz Ribera who commissioned for it to be restorated in 1536. His ashes are in an urn located inside of a niche. In the front wall his uncle Juan Ruiz the Elder is buried. In the retable is the namesake image of Saint Leocadia, painting of XVIII century, painted by Ramón Seyro (student of Mariano Salvador Maella), framed in white and black marblework.
Chapel of the Christ of the Column: is a very small space. The most significant feature is the retable attributed to Copín of Holanda, where there are good carvings of Christ attached to the column between Saint Peter and Saint John, in position of prayer.
or to Íñigo Comontes. A bust image of the archbishop decorated the vertex of the last archivolt, and to the right and left the small busts of the 14 ranking bishops of the chapter. In the center and over the statuette of the archbishop is another Gothic image of Saint Peter in Catedra.
Chapel of Mercy: funded by the canon treasurer Alfonso Martínez for his burial. The altar is dedicated to Saint Teresa whose image is attributed to Pedro de Mena
or to his studio.
Chapel of the baptismal font: The most notable feature is the ironwork screen by Domingo of Céspedes. The bronze baptismal font is highly decorated with Gothic-Renaissance elements.
Chapel of Our Lady of the Old: has a decorated ironwork screen. It is consecrated to the Virgin of the Old, an icon which tradition claims that it predates the Moorish conquest of Toledo.
Chapel of Doña Teresa de Haro: also known as of the Christ of the Spoons in reference to the ladles of the coat of arms of the López de Padilla family. It was funded by Teresa, lady of the Marshal Diego López de Padilla.
The sacristy is a space of great proportions which also includes other contiguous pieces: ante-sacristy, vestuary and collection of garments. The ante-sacristy has a rectangular plan. It is a room decorated with great paintings of the Italian artists Vincenzo Carducci
and Eugenio Caxés
, also Francisco Ricci and Luca Giordano
.
The design of the sacristy was by Francisco Vergara the Greater and Juan Bautista Monegro, in Herrerian
style. The barrel vault with half-moon motifs is lavishly decorate with the paintings of the Neapolitan Luca Giordano
. The principal theme is the Laying of Hands of the Chasuble on Saint Ildephonsus, theme which is found repeated throughout the cathedral as much in paintings as in sculpture. On the walls is displayed a great variety of paintings framed with much style, which form an authentic art gallery of great value. The most praised are the 15 of El Greco
(with a complete studio), over all El Expolio
, which is as retable of the altar at the back, framed in marblework and two Corinthian columns. The other paintings belong to the artists Luis de Morales
, Pedro de Orrente, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz
, Juan de Borgoña
, Luis Tristán, Anthony van Dyck
, Goya, Bassano the Younger
and others. In addition to the paintings, in the sacristy there is a collection of valuable objects headlined by the Rich Bible of Saint Louis king of France which dates from 1250, with 750 miniatures on the cover and 5,000 distributed in the manuscript pages of the three volumes. This was an acquisition of Alfonso X of Castile
.
In the next room is the vestuary with a ceiling painted by Claudio Coello
and José Donoso. In this space are kept good paintings, replicas from Titian
("Pope Paul III
"), Velázquez
("Cardinal Gaspar de Borja") and Giovanni Bellini ("Burial of Christ"). There is another series of paintings by great artists whose collection constitutes an authentic museum.
At another space is the collection of garment that includes a large number of valuable pieces. There is a total of 70 suits; rain miters of XVI and XVII centuries, some embroidered by the father of Alonso de Covarrubias who held this office. The miter of archbishop Sancho de Aragón, son of James I of Aragon
, is special, embroidered with heraldic emblems. Another good example is the miter of Cardinal Gil de Albornoz with Gothic embroidery of scenes of the Bible and saints, principally English. The collection also contains the zucchetto
and an embroidered lapette of the great tiara
that Charles I of Spain
wore at his coronation in Aachen
.
There is a Arab standard won in the Battle of Rio Salado
. The collection of tapestry passes the 70 exemplary ones. Many are sketches by Rubens, gift made by Archbishop Fernández Portocorracero, which he commissioned ex profeso for the cathedral. Some are displayed on the walls of the cathedral during the days of the festivities of the Corpus Christi
.
The chapel is under the protection of the Virgin of the Tabernacle, a Roman-style carving which was covered in silver in XIII century and later dressed with a mantle studded in pearls. This image was known by the name of Saint Mary. It must be said that a traditional legend says that it belonged to the Apostles and was brought to Toledo by Saint Eugene. Also entering into the legend is the fact that it was hidden at the time of the Muslims and restorated later by King Alfonso VI.
The walls are covered in marblework and its great cupola are supported above pendentives. In the north wall is the altar with the image of the Virgin and in one of the side walls, the sepulchre of Cardinal Sandoval y Rojas.
. In the retables semi-detached to the walls, are historically and artistically interesting reliquaries. The relics include a piece of the veil of Saint Leocadia (the Hispano-Roman Toledan virgin) which, according to the legend, was cut by Saint Ildephonsus off the Saint when she appeared in the year 666. It is also said that Recceswinth lent his knife to the saint to perform this act. The knife is also kept as a relic.
The stained glass windows constitute a very beautiful and important work of art. This cathedral of Toledo is one of the Castilian buildings that preserves the most medieval stained glass windows. Its construction was from XIV to XVII centuries, and the restorations of XVIII century, with an evolution suitable of the passing of the years and the changes of style.
The oldest and also the most appreciated stained glass windows by its beautiful are those of the rose window of the transept (over the door of the Clock) and some of the ambulatory, even though these have a softer color. Then there are those of the main chapel and those of the north arm of the transept by the east side that display enormous figures of saints and apostles.
Many of the stained glass windows of XV century appear documented. It is known that on those of the main chapel and some of the transept worked the glass-maker Jacobo Dolfin and his servant Luis, and on those of the southern transept and some large windows of the main nave by the side of the epistle, the masters Pedro Bonifacio, Cristóbal, and the German monk Pedro. Later appears the local participation of the Toledan master Enrique.
The stained glass windows pertaining to XVI century are dressed with Renaissance drawings. On these worked renowned masters such as Vasco de Troya (in 1502), Juan de Cuesta (in 1506) and Alejo Ximénez (in 1509-1513) who worked on those of the side naves and the of the west façade. The stained glass windows of the rose window and door of the Lions are work of Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo.
At the beginning of XVIII century, stained glass windows were continued to be made to replace those which had been damaged. The artist Francisco Sánchez Martínez (one of the last glass-makers of the cathedral) was one of the good restorers, even though new designs were no longer produced and the models were repeated. During the years of Spanish Civil War the stained glass windows suffered much deterioration but in the last years of XX century a great effort of restoration and recuperation was made giving the collection its brilliance of other periods.
One of its more outstanding parts is the Baroque
altar
called El Transparente
, several stories high, with fantastic figures of stucco
, painting
, bronze castings, and multiple colors of marble
, a masterpiece of Baroque
mixed media by Narciso Tomé
enhanced by the daily effect for a few minutes of a shaft of sunlight striking it through an appropriately oriented hole in the roof, giving the impression that the whole altar is rising to heaven
. The fully Baroque display makes a strong contrast with the predominant Gothic style of the cathedral. It is from the play of light that this feature of the cathedral
derives its name. The cathedral also receives its light through more than 750 stained glass windows, from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, the work of some of the best artists of those times.
In XVI century, the Renaissance style was used on the creations of grillwork. The balusters, the pilasters, and the coronation or crest were made with great delicacy and fine gold work. The baluster is the principal element that articulates or divides the sections and that sometimes serves as a support of candelabra
and triangular candelabra. First, they were worked on in the forge and later were worked by lathe. The Renaissance grills are divided into two or three floors which in turn are horizontally divided with help of pillars and thicker columns which intercalate between the thinner balusters. Almost all have a finish with mythological figures, with medallions, candelabra and crowning. They were created in iron to be later plated in gold or silver. The master grillworkers who left their art in this cathedral were: Domingo de Céspedes, Francisco de Villalpando, Juan Francés and Julio Pascual.
The Treasure has a unique façade because in the beginning it was going to be the funeral chapel of Cardinal Tavera, due to this sculptures and allusions as much of the death as the person of the Cardinal can be seen here. The façade was designed by Alonso of Covarrubias. It constists of a closed, round arch, in which the linteled door is opened, bordered by two very adorned columns. In the timpanum Covarrubias carved a bust of Saint John the Baptist, inside of a medallion or tondo held by angel tenantes. This saint was the patron of Cardinal Tavera. Over the arch there is a niche where the group of sculptures of Quo Vadis is above a floor of shells, in allusion to death (funeral chapel), work of the sculptor Olarte. The group is bordered by balustraded columns of rich ornamentation. On both sides of the niche are the coat of arms of Cardinal Tavera (which is repeated in a smaller size in the space that is between the curve of the arch of the entrance and the group of Quo Vadis, held by two angel tenantes) and below them, the coat of arms of the canon López de Ayala who was a great mecenas of the cathedral.
In the interior are multiple glass display cabinets that hold the treasure of the cathedral which consists of liturgical objects, relics, crosiers, clothing, etc. There are two good carvings, one of Juan Martínez Montañés and another of Pedro de Mena. The most valuable and important piece is the monumental monstrance of Enrique de Arfe, work from 1517 to 1524.
The most important object kept in the Chapel of the Treasure is the great Monstrance of Arfe also known as La Gran Ostensoria de Toledo. Made of the finest silver, gold and bejeweled with gems, it measures nine feet tall. This monstrance is famous for being used in the annual feast of Corpus Christi
of Toledo
.
The sculptor and maker of this monstrance, Enrique de Arfe was originally from Flanders and Germany. Arfe labored on it from 1517–1524, on commission to Cardinal Cisneros. It is of archaic Gothic design. Initially made of silver by 16th century, Archbishop Quiroga commissioned that it be plated in gold, to match the gold plated wood of the monstrance of the altar. It is encased under bulletproof glass and heavily guarded by automatic security system within the cathedral grounds of Toledo.
In the Middle Ages, Cardinal Cisneros wanted to compete for a grander monstrance than Isabella the Catholic to show it off in the procession of the Corpus Christi of Toledo which at the time was the most important feast in the Kingdom of Castile. The monstrance took seven years to create and its cost surpassed 15 million maravedís
, which Arce received, including the stipulated 2,700 reales
, a bonus of 2,500 maravedís that the cathedral's chapter presented to him on Christmas of 1523, having been impressed by his work.
The monstrance has a hexagonal ground base. It rises with small columns which are exquisitely made, with adornments of gems and varied figurines of angels, saints, fleurons, small bells and clappers. The work encloses in the last section where a cross of XVI century is located. The pedestal on which it sits is Baroque style of the 18th century.
Since 1595, it has been customary to carry out this monstrance in the procession of the Corpus Christi, on a float made for this purpose with an adjustable leveling which is mechanically activated. In the procession, ahead of the monstrance the political and ecclesiastical authorities and behind are the cadets of the Infantry Academy. The monstrance is built with the help of 12,500 bolts which secure it, 5,600 diverse pieces and 260 figurines. 183 kilograms of pure silver and 18 kilograms of 18 karat gold were used.
The following inscription of the Monstrance of Arfe reads the following:
Don Francisco Jiménez Cardinal Cisneros, Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, Governor of Spain and conqueror of Africa, commissioned this monstrance of the Most Holy Body of Christ to be made, which was finished during the vacant see, being worker Diego López de Ayala. Year of the Lord 1524.
In the 2011 World Youth Day
, the Monstrance of Arfe was brought out of the Cathedral of Toledo into Cuatro Vientos
airport, where it was used for Eucharistic Adoration
presided by Pope Benedict XVI
.
Monarchs of León
Sancha II 1230, Queen of León.
Monarchs of Castile
Sancho III the Desired, 1157–1158, Main Chapel.
Monarchs of Castile and León
Alfonso VII the Emperor, 1126–1157, and his wife Doña Berenguela, in the Main Chapel,
Sancho IV the Bravo, 1284–1295, Main Chapel,
Henry II 1369-1379, and his wife Juana Manuel, in the Chapel of the New Monarchs,
Juan I 1379-1390, in the Chapel of the New Monarchs,
Henry III the Infirm, 1390–1406, and his wife Katherine of Lancaster, in the Chapel of the New Monarchs,
John II 1406-1454, Chapel of the New Monarchs: cenotaph; his body is in the Chapterhouse of Miraflores, in Burgos
.
Over the old al-cana or alcana (Hebrew commercial district), on the north side of the cathedral, Archbishop Pedro Tenorio planned the cloister and a chapel which would serve him as a sepulchre.
The works of the cloister were begun in 14 August 1389, with the laying of the first stone, and ended in 1425. On these worked the masters Rodrigo Alfonso and Alvar Martínez in a construction of four corridors with quadripartite vaults. The construction of the cloister was not free of history and legend. Since the fair was in the site where Pedro Tenorio planned his construction, the owners of the stands and shops were reluctant from the start. Eugenio Narbona accounted of the interest of the archbishop to occupy as quickly as possible "the markets, which is the place where the merchandise is sold." During the time in which the archbishop and the owners debated over the purchase and the prices, misfortune came in form of a fire which destroyed the entire market. So Pedro Tenorio took advantage of this for his purchase and, here enters the legend, the archbishop was accused of having provoced the disaster to be able to acquire the plots.
Given the release of the zone, a meter and a half was constructed above the level of the plan of the cathedral and in a way that it could support two heights, which was done with the arrival of Cardinal Cisneros. Tenorio did not spare any effort in ensuring that the grandeur and majesty of the cloister was worthy of cathedral Gothic.
It is worth noting, there being no monastic order in the cathedral, the destiny of the cloister and the rest of the pieces that were built along its perimeter had very different functiones at the time: from storeroom to classroom; as a place of mercantile transactions (recuperating the sense of the old alcana) or of prayer. It came to be a place of city gatherings and one of its halls was a Mozarabic chapel.
It is situated seven meters below street level, decision made after the beginning of construction due to the clutered image it was to the eye, which in the long run generated many humidity problems. The archbishop left prepared in writing the consecration to Saint Blaise and the income and debts of the chapter were established for its sustainment.
The chapel is decorated in two different parts. First, from the cornice to the ceiling, the Creed is represented in fourteen scenes in the manner of the hands of a clock. At the lower part of the cornice is the Final Judgement and scenes of saints. The authorship of the works is not clear, even though it remains attributed without a doubt to Florentine painters among who are mentioned as very probable Gherardo Starnina
and Nicolás de Antonio. The restorations deficient made and the deterioration that throughout the years has produced humidity has damaged the paintings closes to the floor, in some cases irremediably.
At the beginning of XXI century, a profound restoration of this chapel, consolidating the paintings and giving them back their original color and splendor, with the exception of those lost, irremediable fragments. A second task is close to being brought to a finish: the elimination of the humidity coming from the street Hombre de Palo, which could damage the collection again.
occurred in all of Europe with an extension of religious music beyond the monasteries
, becoming a key piece in the Eucharist
ic liturgy. To the grandeur of the cathedral a spectacular ritual must be provided where music has the mission of embracing the architectural work and continuing the glorification of God
. Since 1440, the polyphonic
vocal pieces spread throughout Castile
and Aragon
with force. Instrumental music was produced by the organ
, which quickly found a place in archpriest cathedrals and churches.
In the cathedral of Toledo, the most important organ is the so-called Organ of the Emperor, in the transept of the cathedral. Next are the so-called General, the organ by Echevarria and the organ by Verdalonga, located in the choir. Cardinal Cisneros, with the reform of the chapel of the Corpus Christi for the Mozarabic rite
, with Mozarabic chant, introduced in the chapel another organ. Others are also in the rest of the important chapels: that of the New Monarchs (which has two), of the Alcázar, of the Virgin of the Sacristy and of Saint Peter.
Not only the organ was important. With the passing of the years, wind instrument
s were introduced (flageolet
s, flute
s and sackbut
s), harp
s and other string instruments
, like the so-called viola, which served as accompaniment to the vocal music. With the creation of the Chapel of Music throughout XVI and XVII centuries the oboe
and the double bass
were being incorporated, in advance of the flageolet and the sackbut.
The Six-piece or Children's choir of the cathedral were created as vocal group for Cardinal Silíceo who, in 22 July 1557, founded for these the College of Our lady of the Infantes, even though earlier the existence of moços (boys) who sang in the liturgical services was already mentioned in XII century. They were and are the Choir of the cathedral and of the Chapel of Music. In its constitution of XVI century, its red clothing was already established, which it still keeps with white surplice. In the College lived, generally, the kapellmeister
and other professors with the boys, who assured their formation and, including, for a time, their incorporation into the Royal University of Toledo. The constitutional charter, drafted by Silíceo on 9 May 1557, specifically instructed in its sixth point:
Among the kapellmeister
s, stood out Cristóbal de Morales
(along the lines of Emendemus in melius and Peccatem me Quotidie), who had worked in the Sistine Chapel
of Rome and came to compose 21 masses and more than 70 motet
s, Matías Durango de los Arcos, Alonso Lobo
, Juan de Bonet and Paredes, Andrés de Torrentes, Ginés de Boluda and Francisco Juncá y Carol.
The influence of the music of the cathedral of Toledo was decisive in Spanish religious music. Not only in Mozarabic chant, but also in providing kapellmeisters who later went to other dioceses like Seville or Jaén, six-pieces which formed choirs in other cathedrals and even variations of Gregorian chant
in the form of what is known as Cantus Eugenianus, Cantus Melodicus or Vulgo Melodía, owing to the melody masters of the cathedral (up to 18 masters have been accounted; this figure disappears with the Concordat of 1851) and whose majority of compositions is kept in the cathedral library.
were its point of reference. Nevertheless, as much as by the influence of the Mozarabic rite, as also by the Visigothic tradition and Castilian liturgy, the constructive solutions were accepted to a good degree such as the counter-rests, the buttresses or the pointed arches, but they resisted in importing the impressive French sanctuaries where the choir and the altar were located, opting for some smaller ones and situating the choir in the central nave. This had been the solution of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which came first.
These characteristics, joined with the condition of primate cathedral, favored the extension of the model to the rest of the Spanish cathedrals, with the exception of that of Burgos
and that of León
which followed the French model with more fidelity. It can be noticed that the disposition of spaces is repeated in the cathedral of Cádiz, of Seville, of Palma of Mallorca, among others. And, as was foreseeable, the Spanish Empire carried the model of the Dives Toletana beyond, conditioning those which were constructed in the Americas and the Philippines.
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo
Archdiocese of Toledo
This is a list of Bishops and Archbishops of Toledo . They are also the Primates of Spain. It was, according to tradition established in the 1st century by St. James the Great and was elevated to an archdiocese in 313 after the Edict of Milan. The incumbent Archbishop also bears the title Primate...
.
The cathedral of Toledo is one of the three XIII century High Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
cathedrals in Spain and is considered to be the pinnacle of the Gothic style in Spain. It was begun in 1226 under the rule of Ferdinand III
Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
and the last Gothic contributions were made in XV century when, in 1493, the vaults of the central nave were finished, during the times of the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
. It was modeled after Bourges Cathedral, although its five naves plan is the consequence of the constructors' intention to cover all of the sacred space of the former city mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
with the cathedral, and of the former sahn
Sahn
A sahn , in Islamic architecture, is a courtyard. As per the traditional Islamic architectural style, almost every mosque has a sahn, which is surrounded by an arcade from all sides. In Persian architecture, the sahn usually contains a howz, a symmetrical pool, where ablutions are performed...
with the cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
. It also combines some characteristics of the Mudéjar
Mudéjar
Mudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
style, mainly in the cloister, and with the presence of multifoiled arches in the triforium
Triforium
A triforium is a shallow arched gallery within the thickness of inner wall, which stands above the nave of a church or cathedral. It may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be located as a separate level below the clerestory. It may itself have an outer wall of glass rather than...
. The spectacular incorporation of light and the structural achievements of the ambulatory
Ambulatory
The ambulatory is the covered passage around a cloister. The term is sometimes applied to the procession way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar....
vault
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
s are some of its more remarkable aspects. It is built with white stone from Olihuelas, close to Toledo.
It is popularly known as Dives Toletana (meaning Toledan tycoon).
Origins
For years, the unwritten popular tradition has come down telling that there was in the same place as the current cathedral at first a temple from the era of the first Archbishop Eugene (Saint Eugene of Toledo). This temple was consecrated for a second time in the year 587, after having undergone some alterations, as testified by the inscription appearing in XVI century that is preserved in the cloister and states:The city had been the episcopal seat of Visigothic Spain. The numerous Councils of Toledo
Councils of Toledo
Councils of Toledo . From the 5th century to the 7th century, about thirty synods, variously counted, were held at Toledo in what would come to be part of Spain. The earliest, directed against Priscillianism, assembled in 400. The "third" synod of 589 marked the epoch-making conversion of King...
attest to its important ecclesiastical past. Also, the abjuration of Arianism
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
on the part of Reccared
Reccared
Reccared I was Visigothic King of Hispania, Septimania and Galicia. His reign marked a climactic shift in history, with the king's renunciation of traditional Arianism in favour of Catholic Christianity in 587.Reccared was the younger son of King Liuvigild by his first wife Theodosia...
had its time and place there. The Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
invasion did not immediately eliminate the Christian mark and the bishop remained established in the church of Saint Mary of Alfizén.
The Visigothic temple was torn down into in the main mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
of the city of Toledo. Some investigators point out that the prayer hall of the mosque corresponds with the layout of the five naves of the current cathedral, the shan would coincide with part of the current cloister and the chapel of Saint Peter and the minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
with the belltower. With certain archeological data it is possible to observe an Islamic column mounted inside of the chapel of Saint Lucy, the marble shafts that decorate the exterior of the choir are an improvement of an old Muslim construction, the intertwined arches of caliphate style in the triforium of the main chapel and of the ambulatory, coincide with the Muslim construction tradition of Cordova
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
.
The cathedral of Alfonso VI
The city of Toledo was conquered back by Alfonso VI, king of León and Castile in 1085. One of the points of the capitulations that made possible the transfer of the city without bloodshed was the promise of this king to conserve and respect the buildings of learning, the customs and religion as much Muslim as the larger Mozarabic population. Naturally, the main mosque found itself within this compromise. Shortly thereafter, the king had to depart on matters of the state, staying in charge of the city his wife ConstanceConstance of Burgundy
Constance of Burgundy was the daughter of Duke Robert I of Burgundy and Helie de Semur-en-Brionnais. She was Queen consort of Castile and León by her marriage to Alfonso VI of Castile. She was the granddaughter of King Robert II of France, the second monarch of the French Capetian dynasty...
and the abbot of the monastery of Sahagún
Sahagún, Spain
Sahagún is a town in the province of León, Spain. It is the main town of the Leonese section of the Tierra de Campos comarca.Sahagún is notable for containing some of the earliest examples of the mudéjar style of architecture. It lies on the Way of St. James.The initial town arose due to the...
Bernard of Sedirac (or Bernard of Cluny), who had been elevated to the rank of archbishop of Toledo. These two, in mutual accord and taking advantage of the absence of the king, undertook an unfortunate act which, as told by the priest Mariana
Juan de Mariana
Juan de Mariana, also known as Father Mariana , was a Spanish Jesuit priest, Scholastic, historian, and member of the Monarchomachs....
in his General History of Spain, was almost at the point of provoking a uprising and the ruin of the recently-conquered city.
On 25 October 1087, the archbishop (in accordance with the queen Constance) sent an armed contingent to seize the mosque by force. They proceeded to install a provisional altar and hung a bell in the minaret, following the Christian custom to cast out the filthiness of the law of Mohammed. The priest Mariana writes that king Alfonso VI was so irritated with these events, that neither the archbishop nor the queen were able to stop him from ordering the execution of all the active participants. Legend holds that the local Muslim populace helped restore peace, with the negotiator and faqih
Faqih
A Faqīh is an expert in fiqh, or, Islamic jurisprudence.A faqih is an expert in Islamic Law, and, as such, the word Faqih can literally be generally translated as Jurist.- The definition of Fiqh and its relation to the Faqih:...
Abu Walid beckoning the king to be tolerant, and asserting that his fellow townsmen accepted the usurpation as legitimate. In memory and gratitude of this gesture, the Chapter
Cathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
dedicated a homage to Walid and ordered for an effigy to be placed on one of the pillars in the main chapel, this way perpetuating his memory. As a consequence of that incident, the Toledan mosque remained consecrated and converted into a Christian cathedral.
Plans of what was once the mosque have not been preserved nor is it known how this building appeared, but taking into account the preserved vestiges in other cities (Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Jaén
Jaén, Spain
Jaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
including the Mosque of Cordova
Mezquita
The Cathedral and former Great Mosque of Córdoba, in ecclesiastical terms the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción , and known by the inhabitants of Córdoba as the Mezquita-Catedral , is today a World Heritage Site and the cathedral of the Diocese of Córdoba...
) it can be supposed that it was a columnary building, with horseshoe arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
s on top of columns perhaps improved up other Roman and Visigothic construction. It is possible that it appeared very much like the church of the Savior of Toledo, previously a mosque.
King Alfonso VI made important donations to the new temple. On 18 December 1086, the cathedral was placed under the advocacy of María
María, Spain
-External links: - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía - Diputación Provincial de Almería - TODOVELEZ.ES...
and it was granted villas, hamlets, mills and one third of the revenues of all the rest of the church of the city. The first royal privilege that is preserved is a prayer in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, beginning:
Urban II
Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II , born Otho de Lagery , was Pope from 12 March 1088 until his death on July 29 1099...
recognized in 1088 this church as the primate cathedral over the rest of the kingdom. The mosque-cathedral remained intact until XIII century, the year of 1222, until a bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
from the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
authorized to start off the works of the new cathedral which were initiated in 1224 (or 1225) and whose official ceremony of the placement of the first stone took place in 1226 (other sources say 1227), with the presence of King Ferdinand the Saint
Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
. Throughout XIII century, the cathedral's income tax was raised upon integrating into its patrimony Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
.
The cathedral of the archbishop Ximénez de Rada
The layout of the cathedral as now seen was set in XIII century, while the archbishop of Toledo was Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada and during the reign of a young Ferdinand the Saint. The official ceremony of the placing of the first stone was delayed with respect to the commencement of the works, in hope that the king could be present (1227). Ximénez de Rada was elected bishop of Toledo in 1209, and thenceforth he defended the primacy of the Toledan see before the Papal authority. He aimed to build a grand cathedral, worthy of this city which he governed. When he came to office, the mosque-cathedral was ample in space, but with a low roof, making the interior noisy space. The structure was aged, and some sections had been demolished by his predecessor. The cathedral lacked the slenderness and stature of other temples of similar importance. Ximénez de Rada became the enthusiastic promoter for a new cathedral, to be built in contemporary Gothic styleGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
. He was so enthusiastic with the project and he involved himself so much in it that it was later falsely rumored that he was the author-architect of the cathedral. The archbishop spent a few years maintaining and reinforcing the old temple in hopes that his dream would be realized.
The building
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
and double ambulatory, transepts and a double ambulatory. The outer naves present an odd anomaly in being a little wider than the other two. The oldest part of the temple is the sanctuary, which maintains in its architecture the original triforia
Triforium
A triforium is a shallow arched gallery within the thickness of inner wall, which stands above the nave of a church or cathedral. It may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be located as a separate level below the clerestory. It may itself have an outer wall of glass rather than...
that extended along the length of the naves and were removed in one of the many reforms and evolutions that the cathedral underwent. Still in the Gothic period, these triforia were replaced with large stained-glass windows. Those triforia that survive of the sanctuary are of mudéjar
Mudéjar
Mudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
influence. The lowest section is made of cusped arches that rest on paired columns and the upper section presents interlaced arches typical of mudéjar. It is not known if these mudéjar themes existed in the previous mosque and were copied as a reminder or if they were added in one of the improvements and enrichments of the stonework, as something original and tasteful.
In the sanctuary, one encounters the double ambulatory, which is double as would correspond to a ground plan of 5 naves. This double ambulatory is of grand proportions and is enriched with architectural elements and an original vaulting. The sections of the chapel were solved with alternate plans of rectangles and triangles, which made for each chapels to be of a different size, rectangular plans being larger and triangular plans smaller. This method of distributing the sanctuary can be seen in the French cathedrals of Notre Dame in Paris, Bourges and Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, the last cathedral being the most similar in appearance although the three are slender, as a whole, than the Spanish cathedral. The various reforms that were made over time altered the arrangement of some of the chapels, for example, in one case only one chapel was reconstructed in the space of three.
The vaults
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
of the naves are quadripartite except for those of the transept and the chancel which are reinforced with tiercerons.
The master builders and their patrons
For centuries it was held with complete certainty that the first master architect of the cathedral of Toledo was Petrus Petri (Spanish Pedro Pérez). Such certainty was based on the only existing testimony regarding the authorship, testimony recorded on a tombstone within sight, where it is possible to see the legend written in a poor Latin:Towards the middle of XX century, the bishop of Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real is a city in Castile-La Mancha, Spain, with a population of c. 74,000. It is the capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid, located 115 miles to the north. A high capacity...
investigated to the bottom of this theme and brought to light a series of documents which came to demonstrate existence of a first master prior to Petrus Petri called master Martín, married with María Gómez, certainly of French origin, called for by Ximénez de Rada. One of the documents is dated to 1227 and names "a master Martín of the work of Saint Mary of Toledo". Another document where a list of income collected by the cathedral is listed in 1234 gives anew the name of "Master Martín of the work", of whom it is also written to be tenant of a house pertaining to the cathedral. In writings of later years appear the names of Martín (bricklayer
Bricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
) and Juan Martín (master of bricklayers), who are believed to be relatives of each other. No new documents have appeared, so at the present time this master Martín is held as first architect. To this argument it must be added that the date of beginning of the construction figures incorrectly with the age of Petrus Petri who during those years must have been too young to be architect.
The studies released after this discovery indicates that the master Martín would be the author of the chapels of the ambulatory and upon his departure by death or by absence the weight of the direction of the works was taken up by master Petrus who finished the ambulatories and constructed the triforia in Toledan style. Towards the end of XIII century, the sanctuary and two sections of the naves of the south side were concluded.
Towards the end of XIV century the person of a master Rodrigo Alfonso appears to be documented, who put the first stone of the cloister in 1389, under the patronage of the bishop Pedro Tenorio who died 10 years later. This archbishop occupied himself with many works of the cathedral, such as the chapel of Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea . According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded...
in the cloister which is famous for artistic richness of its frescos from the school of Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
.
The next master of whom there is information was Alvar Martínez (in other cases González), who was quantity surveyor of the quarries Olihuelas at the boundary of Olías del Rey. He is the author of the west facade whose construction was begun in 1418. The changes made in 1787 make it so that one cannot envision how this facade really was in its origin. He was also the author of the only tower of the cathedral, in times of archbishop Juan Martínez de Contreras, whose coat of arms appears in the frieze that crowns the first section. The crowning of the tower was done by another great master: Hanequin de Bruselas, who moulded the coat of arms of the next archbishop Juan de Cerezuela. With Hanequin came a group of illustrious masters: Egas Cueman, Enrique Egas, Juan Guas, who worked on fronts, chapels, and sumptuary works putting an end to the Gothic work with their labor. The vaults of the at the footing of the central nave were closed in 1493, under the direction of Juan Guas and Enrique Egas, with the patronage and supervision of Cardinal Mendoza
Pedro González de Mendoza
Pedro González de Mendoza was a Spanish cardinal and statesman.-Biography:He was born at Guadalajara in New Castile, the chief lordship of his family. He was the fourth son of Íñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana, deceased 1458, and one of the cadet brothers of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, 1...
.
Great patrons of XVI century. Works and artists
During XVI, XVII and XVIII centuries, there were carried out various tasks on the cathedral according to the new styles, architectural works (doors, chapels, chapels) and sumptuous works of sculpture and painting. XVI century was the golden age of Toledo which is called Imperial City. The best and most active patrons lived during this century. It is the archbishop-governors who, in the absence of the kings, care for the city and its magnificence. In 1493, at the end of XV century, Cardinal Mendoza supervised the closing of the last vaults of the cathedral and expressed in his will his desire to be buried in the presbyterium. In the first decade of XVI century, the cenotaphCenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
was built in Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style. This excellent work is attributed to Domenico Fancelli.
Later Cardinal Cisneros occupied the post. Under his influence and sponsorship important works were made (perhaps the most important work was the Mozarabic chapel), realized by masters of the stature of Juan Francés (grill of the Mozarabic chapel), Enrique Egas, Juan de Borgoña
Juan de Borgoña
Juan de Borgoña , was a High Renaissance painter who was born in the Duchy of Burgundy, probably just before it ceased to exist as an independent state, and was active in Spain from about 1495 to 1536. His earliest documented work was painted in 1495 for the cloister of the Cathedral of Toledo...
(pictures of the Mozarabic chapel) and its main master Pedro de Gumiel. Cisneros also ordered the magnificent main retable to be built, work of Diego Copín de Holanda and the high cloister for the canonical community, plus the library. He was followed by Guillermo de Croy, Flemish, who never resided in Toledo. Alfonso de Fonseca y Acevedo (who had been archbishop of Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
) was the promoter of the New Kings chapel, work of the architect Alonso de Covarrubias with paintings from Mariano Salvador Maella
Mariano Salvador Maella
Mariano Salvador Maella was a Spanish painter.Born in Valencia, Maella moved to Madrid, where he studied sculpture with Felipe de Castro in Madrid, and painting with a poorly known painter by the surname González. He became painter of the chamber to the king and director general of the Academia...
(XVIII century).
With bishop Juan Tavera, Toledan Renaissance is found in its grand splendor. Under his governance, the magnificent chorus of Alonso Berruguete
Alonso Berruguete
Alonso González de Berruguete was a Spanish painter, sculptor and architect. He is considered to be the most important sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, and is known for his emotive sculptures depicting religious ecstasy or torment.Born in the town of Paredes de Nava, Berrugete studied art...
and Felipe Vigarny, the interior facades of the transept, the chapel of Saint John or of the Treasure and other facades and adornments were constructed. With Juan Martínez Siliceo, the cathedral was seen adorned with the splendid grill of the main chapel, work of Francisco de Villalpando.
Cardinal Gaspar de Quiroga was responsible for the architectural complex of the chapel of the Tabernacle, Reliquary and the courtyard and house of the treasurer. The appearances and plans were from the main master Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo
Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo
Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo was a Spanish sculptor, architect, ironworker and glazier, most notable for his work on religious buildings, including Toledo Cathedral. He was the nephew of the master glaziers Arnao de Vergara and Arnao de Flandes and grandson of Arnao de Flandes the Elder....
. To construct this complex, the Hospital of the King was grought down and raised again in its former site, works that come to an end with the great cardinal Bernardo de Sandoval y Rojas and with the architect Nicolás de Vergara in XVII century.
Main facade and the great doors
Mozarab
The Mozarabs were Iberian Christians who lived under Arab Islamic rule in Al-Andalus. Their descendants remained unconverted to Islam, but did however adopt elements of Arabic language and culture...
ic chapel that occupies the place where the second tower was to be built.
To the left of the main facade rises the only tower of the cathedral. The dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
that is seen to the right belongs to the Mozarabic chapel which was ordered to be constructed by cardinal Cisneros. The tower has two parts: the lower part, of square cross-section, was designed by Alvar Martínez; the upper, octagonal part corresponds to Hanequin de Buselas. It is topped by a spire.
The main facade has three doorways, known as, respectively, Puerta del Perdón (Door of Forgiveness, in the centre), Puerta del Juicio Final (Door of the Last Judgment, to the right) and Puerta del Infierno (the Door of Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, to the left). The Door of Forgiveness is of XV century: it was begun, under the direction of Alvar Matinez in 1418. It is so called because there was a time indulgences were granted to penitents who entered through it. These days it is always closed and is only used on special occasions and when the new archbishop takes charge of the primate cathedral. It has one great arch with six Gothic archivolt
Archivolt
An archivolt is an ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental moldings surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening...
s. The decoration consists of typical Gothic iconography, with the figure of the Saviour in the mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
and an apostolates in the jambs. In the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
, the Virgin gives the chasuble
Chasuble
The chasuble is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian Churches that use full vestments, primarily in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, as well as in some parts of the United Methodist Church...
to Saint Ildephonsus
Ildephonsus of Toledo
Saint Ildefonsus or Ildephonsus was the metropolitan bishop of Toledo from 657 until his death. He was a Visigoth and his Gothic name was Hildefuns, which evolved into the Castilian name Alfonso. Ildefonsus, however, is known as San Ildefonso in Castilian and there are several places named after him...
, a particularly special theme for the cathedral which is repeated in the interior in the chapels and paintings. The leaves of the door measure more than 5 meters in height and are covered by elaborately fashioned bronze plates, which are from XIV century. The door of the Last Judgement is the oldest of the three, and represents, as its name suggests, the Last Judgment.
The door Hell, in contrast, does not contain figurative motives, only floral decoration. It is also known as the door of the Tower or of the Palms as it used to be reserved as an entrance for the procession of the palms on Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
.
Door of the Clock
The Door of the Clock is the oldest, begun in XIV century and is located in the facade of the north side. In addition, it is also known as:- Door of the Fair, because it opened to the street where the fair was celebrated.
- Door of the Chapinería (shoe-maker shop), because it fronts the street which bears that name, the place where clogsClog (shoe)A clog is a type of footwear made in part or completely from wood.The Oxford English Dictionary defines a clog as a "thick piece of wood", and later as a "wooden soled overshoe" and a "shoe with a thick wooden sole"....
were made and sold. - Door of the Ollas, because in its decoration some ollas can be seen.
- Door of the Monarchs, alluding to the iconographyIconographyIconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
of its sculpture. - Door of the Lost Boy, also because of the iconography.
The tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
is divided into four horizontal panels, in which there are scenes from the life of Christ: the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
, the Nativity
Nativity of Jesus in art
The Nativity of Jesus has been a major subject of Christian art since the 4th century. The artistic depictions of the Nativity or birth of Jesus, celebrated at Christmas, are based on the narratives in the Bible, in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and further elaborated by written, oral and...
, the Adoration of the Magi, the Massacre of the Innocents
Massacre of the Innocents
The Massacre of the Innocents is an episode of infanticide by the King of Judea, Herod the Great. According to the Gospel of Matthew Herod orders the execution of all young male children in the village of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth...
, Flight into Egypt
Flight into Egypt
The flight into Egypt is a biblical event described in the Gospel of Matthew , in which Joseph fled to Egypt with his wife Mary and infant son Jesus after a visit by Magi because they learn that King Herod intends to kill the infants of that area...
, the Circumcision of Jesus
Circumcision of Jesus
The Circumcision of Jesus is an event from the life of Jesus of Nazareth according to the Gospel of Luke, which states in verse 2:21 that Jesus was circumcised eight days after his birth...
, the Finding in the Temple
Finding in the Temple
The Finding in the Temple, also called "Christ among the Doctors" or the Disputation , was an episode in the early life of Jesus depicted in the Gospel of Luke. It is the only event of the later childhood of Jesus mentioned in a gospel.The episode is only described in...
, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Baptism
Baptism of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of Jesus Christ's public ministry. This event is recorded in the Canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. In John 1:29-33 rather than a direct narrative, the Baptist bears witness to the episode...
and the Marriage at Cana
Marriage at Cana
In Christianity, the transformation of water into wine at the Marriage at Cana or Wedding at Cana is the first miracle of Jesus in the Gospel of John....
. In the upper part of the tympanum, the Death of the Virgin
Death of the Virgin
The Death of the Virgin Mary is a common theme in Western Christian art, comparable to the Dormition in Eastern Orthodox art. It becomes less common as the doctrine of the Assumption gains support in the Roman Catholic Church from the late Middle Ages onwards...
is depicted. The column-mullion is decorated with an image of the Virgin and Child. In the jambs are images of kings and saints, all of which are the work of the sculptor Juan Alemán who also worked on the door of the Lions.
Above this doorway is the later work of Gregorio López Durango, whose work is also seen on the main facade. It is consolidation work needed because of the bad state of the stone. The central intercolumniation above the door is occupied by the face of the clock that gives its name to the door. The door and its surroundings form a very appealing space with a small compass enclosed by a Gothic grill, the work of Juan Francés, with very simple crosspieces, a small, carved frieze with a separation in the center, and a simple and harmonious cresting.
- Interior
Inside are diverse medallions; the best are those of the Virgin of the Annunciation of Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo and of the Archangel Saint Gabriel of Juan Bautista Vázquez. It is also adorned with paintings and coats of arms. Above is the rose window of XIII century that contains the oldest stained glass of the cathedral.
Door of the Lions
- New Door, for being the last that was built.
- Door of Joy, in allusion to the celebration of the Assumption of the VirginAssumption of MaryAccording to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
that is represented in the face of the back wall, over the archivolts.
It was constructed between the years 1460 and 1466, under the mandate of Archbishop Alfonso Carrillo de Acuña; with designs from Hanequin of Brussels, also known as Anequín de Egas Cueman, and Enrique de Egas Cueman, his son, in collaboration with the Flemish sculptors Pedro and Juan Guas and Juan Alemán, author of the Apostolate. These artists were at the front of a great studio that included prestigious stonemasons and carvers.
The statuary of the door is one of the best Hispano-Flemish collections of XV century, above all the Virgin of the column-mullion and the statues of the jambs. The cherub
Cherub
A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
im and musical angels that accompany the ascension of Mary to the sky are works of art executed with great delicacy. The facade was altered by Durango and Salvatierra, same as in the other doors, to fund the building. The bronze leaves of the doors are a masterpiece by Francisco de Villalpando, who made a great work on the 35 panels or plates. They are hidden from view, protected with wood panels. On top is the great rose window of polychromatic stained glass.
The interior of the door corresponds to the great front of the transept on its southern side on top of which rests the small balcony with balustrade that corresponds to the tribune where the organ of the Emperor is located. Higher up is the great rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
, surrounded by a frame with its pendentives decorated with rosaceae.
In the lower part of the great front is the door divided by a column-mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
. Above the door is the tympanum sculpted with themes of the genealogy of the Virgin whose authors were the same who worked on the exterior of this door. On top of the tympanum is the plateresque
Plateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" , was an artistic movement, especially architectural, traditionally held to be exclusive to Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance in the late 15th century, and spread over the next two centuries...
work in with a great medallion of the Coronation of the Virgin in the center, work of Gregorio Pardo (eldest son of Felipe Vigarny). On both sides are the statues of David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
and Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
, attributed to Esteban Jamete.
To the right and left of this front are two sepulchres. The one on the right is empty (it is believed that it was prepared to receive the remains of Brother Bartolomé Carranza
Bartolomé Carranza
Bartolomé Carranza , Spanish theologian and Archbishop of Toledo, sometimes called de Miranda or de Carranza y Miranda, who spent much of his later life imprisoned on charges of heresy....
); that of the left holds the remains of Canon Alfonso de Rojas, represented in a praying statue.
The grill was made a century after the great grills of the main chapel and of the choir, in a style completely different than these, which gave way to solidity and utility more than to the taste for ornamentation as demonstrated in the earlier century. Its author was Juan Álvarez de Molina, native of Úbeda
Úbeda
Úbeda is a town in the province of Jaén in Spain's autonomous community of Andalusia, with some 35,600 inhabitants. Both this city and the neighboring city of Baeza benefited from extensive patronage in the early 16th century resulting in the construction of a series of Renaissance style palaces...
(Jaén
Jaén, Spain
Jaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
), who made the grill in the city of Toledo in 1647. The documents preserved to this respect say that the grillworker received 8,504 reales and 12 maravedís, and the 27,000 that had been given to him earlier. The document gives account of the cost of the iron employed by the grillworker which totaled to practically the quantity received for the work.
Level Door
The Level Door is of Neo-ClassicalNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style, of the year 1800. It is the only entrance door to the cathedral that is level with the ground, without steps, so giving it its name. Through this door it was customary for processions to exit.
Facade of Saint Katherine
The Facade of Saint Katherine is of late Gothic style. Its archivoltArchivolt
An archivolt is an ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental moldings surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening...
s are carved with vegetable motifs of leaves and foliage. The pillar that makes the mullion is greatly carved on its side faces, with castles and lions. In its interior, it has two sections. The higher section is ornamented with a series of statues with small dossals.
Door of the Presentation
The Door of the Presentation is from the time of Cardinal Tavera; of rich carving and miniatures of imagery made in good, very white stone.Tower
The tower was designed and constructed by Alvar Martínez; it is Gothic, with some decorative mudéjar influence and reaches a top height of 92 m. (301 ft). By an elevated base of squared plan are superimposed four bodies and the fifth being of a smaller height. Even this body is the work of the master Martínez. Between the first and the second body a frieze of black marble unfolds horizontally where in white marble are the coats of arms of Archbishop Juan Martínez de Contreras, whose mandate was from 1422 until 1438. On that date of 1422 the work of Martínez, who did not leave any project to continue the crowning, was to be finished. The top of the tower with the octagonal body was then work of the architect Hanequin de Bruselas who arrived to work on this cathedral together with a group of great figures: Egas Cueman, Enrique Egas and Juan Guas among others. The octagonal body is accompanied by pinnacles and buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
arches and is topped with a spire that supports three crowns imitating a papal tiara
Papal Tiara
The Papal Tiara, also known incorrectly as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, in Italian as the Triregno and as the Trirègne in French, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a prominent symbol of the papacy...
.
Main Chapel
The main chapel of the cathedral brings together a richness of art works, starting with the architecture of the grounds itself. In its original state, the grounds were separated in two parts with two independent vaults. The polygonal vault pertained to the chapel of the Old Monarchs which was somewhat separated. With this division, the presbyterium resulted in being somewhat narrow and not very proper for such a cathedral. Cardinal Cisneros made it clear for this part of the cathedral to be rebuilt and through some situations of confrontation with the Chapter, he received the consent to demolish this chapel of the Old Monarchs, make the presbyterium wider and give sufficient space for the great Gothic retable which he himself had commissioned.Also in its original state, the chapel was closed laterally by two magnificent "grills" of stone, which were like enormous gates. The ambo
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
corresponding to the Gospel was demolished to make the mausoleum of cardinal Mendoza. The ambo corresponding to the Epistle remains and by this it can be deduced that it was part of a great work. Some art critics assure that this stone grill is the most beautiful part of the cathedral. It is possible that it was finished being built at the time of archbishop Pedro de Luna whose polychromatic shield and coat of arms of Castile and León are shown in this work. It is abundantly decorated by statuary and finished off by a choir of angels that appear to be flying. In harmony with this work of fretted stone, the two pillars that give passage to the interior of the chapel were built. On the left pillar the statue of the famous pastor who (according to the legend) provided information in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of Al-Uqab , took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain...
; the other pillar is called Faqih's Pillar because of the statue of Abu Walid who brought king Alfonso VI a message of tolerance (see the this section).
All of the presbyterium is carved and chiselled with figures from all sizes and mythological figures. On the polygonal part on one side and the other are the sepulchres highly decorated and with recumbent statues of Alfonso VII and doña Berenguela
Berenguela of Castile
Berengaria was Queen regnant of Castile in 1217 and Queen consort of León from 1197 to 1204.-Family origins:...
, Sancho III of Castile
Sancho III of Castile
Sancho III was King of Castile and Toledo for one year, from 1157 to 1158. During the Reconquista, in which he took an active part, he founded the Order of Calatrava...
the Desired and Sancho IV
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
the Brave. The images of the monarchs are made in wood carved by Copín de Holanda and polychromed by Francisco de Amberes
Francisco de Amberes
Francisco de Amberes, a painter of Toledo, the cathedral of which he ornamented with his pictures in 1502. From 1508 to 1510 he painted, in conjunction with Juan de Borgoña and Juan de Villoldo, the arabesque chapel, which is still an interesting object....
.
Chapel of the Sepulchre
Below the main altar is the chapel of the sepulchre in the form of a crypt. It is entered from outside of the presbyterium and through a fenced off door that leads to the staircase down. It is a vaulted chapel which contains three altars. The center altar is dedicated to the Holy Burial and has a sculptural group from Copín de Holanda. The altar on the right has important paintings from Luis Medina and Francisco Ricci. The altar on the left is dedicated to Saint Julian and presents a carving of the archbishop and two Italian tablets with the theme of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.Retable
The retable of the Cathedral of Toledo is Gothic and flowered, and one of the last manifestations of this art which was disappearing to give way to the Renaissance. Commissioned by Cardinal Cisneros, the work was begun in 1497 and ended in 1504. Between the architects, painters and sculptors who intervened in this collective master work were: Enrique Egas and Pedro Gumiel (design), Francisco de Amberes and Juan de BorgoñaJuan de Borgoña
Juan de Borgoña , was a High Renaissance painter who was born in the Duchy of Burgundy, probably just before it ceased to exist as an independent state, and was active in Spain from about 1495 to 1536. His earliest documented work was painted in 1495 for the cloister of the Cathedral of Toledo...
(quilting
Quilting
Quilting is a sewing method done to join two or more layers of material together to make a thicker padded material. A quilter is the name given to someone who works at quilting. Quilting can be done by hand, by sewing machine, or by a specialist longarm quilting system.The process of quilting uses...
and polychromy
Polychrome
Polychrome is one of the terms used to describe the use of multiple colors in one entity. It has also been defined as "The practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." Polychromatic light is composed of a number of different wavelengths...
), Rodrigo Alemán, Felipe Vigarny, Diego Copín de Holanda y Sebastián de Almonacid (religious images), and Petit Juan or Peti Joan or Petit Jean (carving and filigree
Filigree
Filigree is a delicate kind of jewellery metalwork made with twisted threads usually of gold and silver or stitching of the same curving motifs. It often suggests lace, and in recent centuries remains popular in Indian and other Asian metalwork, and French from 1660 to the late 19th century...
).
The retable includes an important statuary and a magnificent and delicate filigree of balusters, spires, small dossals, chambranles, all work by Petit Juan. It contains a continuous altar and predella
Predella
A predella is the platform or step on which an altar stands . In painting, the predella is the painting or sculpture along the frame at the bottom of an altarpiece...
, five bays, the center bay being the widest, and five stories with a line of separation not horizontal but stair-stepped. The themes of the central bay from bottom to top are: figure of a seated Virgin with Baby plated in silver (on the predella). Above this is the tabernacle, a Gothic monstrance carved in wood. Above is the theme of the Nativity and higher than Ascension. This culminates with a monumental Calvary. In the other bays are distributed the themes of the life and passion of Jesus.
Sepulchre of Cardinal Mendoza
The sepulchre of Cardinal Mendoza was located in the Cathedral as he himself had declared in 1493, the Chapter was very much opposed from the start to it being in the Presbyterium, this space being reserved as the privileged position of the monarchs. Nevertheless, in the end the structure of the choir had to be changed and royal tombs moved to accommodate the sepulchre according to the final opinion of the Chapter, reinforced by the personal intervention in favor of the Cardinal by the Catholic Monarchs and the inestimable act which Elizabeth the Catholic called the three beautiful sins of the cardinal (his children). His own death, in 11 January 1495 in GuadalajaraGuadalajara, Spain
Guadalajara is a city and municipality in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain, and in the natural region of La Alcarria. It is the capital of the province of Guadalajara. It is located roughly 60 km northeast of Madrid on the Henares River, and has a population of 83,789...
, was surrounded by a halo of holiness to be sure those present had seen a sparkling white cross at the time of his death.
This was the first Castilian Renaissance sepulchre. The structure is an open, central arch and two smaller arches, carved on two fronts and through which the tomb can be seen from inside and outside, following a model of a Roman type triumphal arch which at that time shocked those who assisted in its construction, as much for its spectacular form as for abandoning the Gothic style which until that moment was considered adequate. The authorship of the work is not clear, though it is attributed to the Florentine Jacopo d'Antonio Sansovino who later worked in the Portuguese court with a similar style.
The impact on other later works was enormous: the sepulchres of Fadrique of Portugal, Pedro López de Ayala or Fernando de Arce, among others, were partial imitations of this new model.
The interior chapels. Generalities.
The main and minor chapels conceived in the project of Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada in its original state surrounded the sanctuary of the cathedral. From this, some were removed and others were widened or re-ordered. Of the minor chapels only the chapels of Saint Ann and Saint Giles remain. Of the main chapels those of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Leocadia remain with elements from the first epoch. The chapels of the Old Monarchs and of Saint Lucy remain with only alterations to their ornamentation.The rest were modified or removed, even though in some the opening can be recognized: six small chapels of the ambulatory gave way in the 14th and 15th centuries to the funeral chapels of Saint Ildephonsus and Saint James; that of Christ of the Column (also called of Saint Bartholomew) was transformed at the beginning of XVII century to give way to that of Christ of the Students (or Christ of the Covers); those of Saint Barbara, of Saint Nicholas, of Saint Elizabeth and of the Holy Trinity were integrated into other structures although some details permit their earlier existence to be recognized.
After the various actions, there can be found the aforementioned Chapels of the Old Monarchs, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Leocadia and Saint Lucy, including that of Saint Eugene, of Saint Blaise -incorporated into the cloister-, of Saint Peter and of the New Monarchs.
In the different remodelings and works, almost always the criterion of advancing from the sanctuary of the cathedral towards the wall, which explains the current layout, sometimes chaotic, with respect to the early designs. The first name of the chapel of the Old Monarchs is unknown. The current name has its origin in 1498 when Cardinal Cisneros wanted to transfer the royal tombs from the main chapel, which in the end was never done. In XIII century, this served as funeral parlor to house the mortal remains of Archbishop González Díaz Palomeque. The chapel of Saint Lucy constitutes one of the few spaces where remains of the old mosque can be appreciated and, in concrete, a column and its capital.
The chapel of Saint Eugene (also called of Saint Peter the Old or of the Corpus Christi), is located on the south side, and retains all of the architectural style of XIII century in difference to the rest of the cathedral. The chapel of Saint Peter is the largest and covers the functions of parochial chapel. The cathedral has a heptogonal sanctuary, with two rows with tierceron vaults, and its purpose, having been built at the beginning of XV century, was to serve as funeral chapel to Archbishop Sancho de Rojas.
Mozarabic chapel
The Mozarabic chapel is located at the southeast corner, incorporating the foundations of an unbuilt second tower. The chapel was named originally the Chapel of the Corpus Christi in 1500 by Cardinal Cisneros. Its purpose was to provide a site for worship for followers of the Hispano-Mozarabic ritesMozarabic Rite
The Mozarabic, Visigothic, or Hispanic Rite is a form of Catholic worship within the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, and in the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church . Its beginning dates to the 7th century, and is localized in the Iberian Peninsula...
. Centuries earlier, in 20 March 1101, King Alfonso VI had given privileges in exchange for tribute to the Mozarabes of Toledo. In 1371, King Henry II confirmed this privilege. Cisneros seems to have aimed to conciliate the wishes of a small subset of the faithful, by founding this chapel, and also encouraging the restoration and publishing of codexes, breviaries and misals for this rite. A great sum (3800 gold florins) was raised, suggesting there were sufficient local patrons in town for the effort. Services in mozarabic rite are still performed in this chapel.
The chapel design encompasses a square floor plan under an octagonal cupola. A coffered ceiling of Mozarabic style has been lost (perhaps in the fire in 1620, or by later remodeling). The current cupola was designed in XVII century by the son of El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
,named Jorge Manuel Theotocopoulus; it sports eight panels and a lantern. In the interior, Cisneros commissioned Juan de Borgoña
Juan de Borgoña
Juan de Borgoña , was a High Renaissance painter who was born in the Duchy of Burgundy, probably just before it ceased to exist as an independent state, and was active in Spain from about 1495 to 1536. His earliest documented work was painted in 1495 for the cloister of the Cathedral of Toledo...
, to depict highlights of the conquest of Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
.
The Gothic ironwork screen was fashioned by Juan Francés (1524), and incorporates among its ornamental elements, the coats of arms of Cisneros. The mosaic Crucifix is from XVIII century. It is said that it was brought from Rome and that the ship was shipwrecked, leaving the image for a time at the bottom of the sea. The crucifix is made of a single piece, carved in Mexican fennel root. Another Gothic screen, work of the Toledan Julio Pascual, separates the choir from the rest of the room.
Chapel of the New Monarchs
The name Chapel of the New Monarchs is in reference to the new lineage of the Trastámara. The current chapel is located on the north side of the chapels of Saint James and of Leocadia, in the sanctuary, on the north side. It has an odd and difficult access designed by the great architect Alonso de Covarrubias. Before being transferred to this space, it was called Royal Chapel and was located at the foot of the cathedral, on the side nave of the north side (the Gospel ambo side), encompassing the last section, which cut off and impeded passage though the ending of this nave. The Chapter wanted to change the location of this chapel to clear the nave and Archbishop Alfonso de Fonseca y Acevedo asked for permission of the position corresponding to the emperor. But the difficulty was finding a suitable site, which was finally solved thanks to the talent and ability of its architect.The Chapter wanted to change the location of this chapel to clear the nave and Archbishop Alfonso de Fonseca y Acevedo asked for permission of the position corresponding to the emperor. But the difficulty was finding a suitable site, which was finally solved thanks to the talent and ability of its architect.
More than a chapel, it can considered as a small church, of one nave with two sections and a polygonal apse, including a sacristy and an entrance vestubule, original design by Covarrubias. It was built between 1531 and 1534. It is the first great work from Covarrubias in Toledo.
The two sections of the nave have Gothic cross vaults but all of the ornamentation and carving of the sepulchres are Renaissance. They are separated by the grill from Domingo de Céspedes. The first section forms the body of the small church with some altars and in the second section is where the transferred royal tombs are found and placed in Renaissance vaulted tombs, work by Covarrubias. On one side is Henry II and his wife Juana Manuel
Juana Manuel of Castile
Juana Manuel was from 1369 the Queen consort of Castile. She also was the heiress of Escalona, Villena, Peñafiel and Lara as well as the sovereign lady of Biscay .- Family :...
and in front of them, and in sarcophagi, Henry III the Infirm and Katherine of Lancaster. The praying statue of John II is also located here, whose tomb is in the Chapterhouse of Miraflores in Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
.
Through the arch that gives access to the presbyterium are two small altars, Neo-Classical work. The main altar is by Mateo Medina. It has a painting by Maella with the theme of the Descension, framed by two Corinthian columns. On both sides of this altar are the tombs with the respective praying statues of John I
John I of Castile
John I was the king of Crown of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile, daughter of Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile...
and his wife Eleanor of Aragon.
As a historical memorial, the armor of second lieutenant Duarte de Almeida, who fought in the battle de Toro (where he lost both arms, being made prisoner by the troops of the Catholic Monarchs in 1476), are kept in this chapel.
Chapels of the south wall
Chapel of the Epiphany: located continuing down the Mozarabic chapel. The painting of the retable, attributed to Juan de Borgoña, about the theme of the Adoration of the Magi gives the name to this chapel. It was funded by Luis Daza (died in 1504) who was high chaplain of Henry IV. It has a good grill which closes it, of the style used by the grillworker Juan Francés. The portrait of the chaplain can be viewed as the figure of the donor, in the predella of the retable. On one side of this chapel is his sepulchre, in a Gothic royal tomb.Chapel of the Conception: is accessed by a grill of much artistic value, which incorporates the coat of arms of the Salcedo family, this because the chapel was funddd in 1502 by Juan de Salcedo, apostolic prothonotary and Toledan canon. In its retable are paintings by Francisco de Amberes and in the left side the sepulchre of the patron.
Chapel of Saint Martin: is also closed by a good grill, signed by Juan Francés with the following signature: "Juan Francés, high master of grills"
The chapel has a good retable where it is believed the masters Juan de Borgoña
Juan de Borgoña
Juan de Borgoña , was a High Renaissance painter who was born in the Duchy of Burgundy, probably just before it ceased to exist as an independent state, and was active in Spain from about 1495 to 1536. His earliest documented work was painted in 1495 for the cloister of the Cathedral of Toledo...
and Francisco de Amberes worked. It is divided into three bays and five stories. The central table represents the namesake Saint Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
and it is believed that Andrés Florentino worked on this. On the sides are the sepulchres with bulks of recumbent statues under the royal tombs of the canons Tomás González de Villanueva and Juan López de León.
Chapel of Saint Eugene: has the uniqueness of retaining the original architecture from XIII century. It is closed by a grill very similar to the others signed by Juan Francés. In the retablo
Retablo
A Retablo or lamina is a Latin American devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art....
is the image of the namesake saint, archbishop of Toledo, work of Copín de Holanda. This chapel guards a piece unique for its date and for its art. This is the sepulchre of the Bailiff of Toledo called Fernán Gudiel, who died in 1278. This is a mudéjar work, without architecture nor sculpture, simply with decoration of plasterwork in which blotches (or geometric themes) predominate. The royal tomb is delimited by two double columns that protrude from the upper frieze or cornice adorned with mocárabes. Lining this cornice is an inscription in the Arabic language and characters which say in a repetitive manner: "The mother of God. To the Virgin Mary".
The other tomb is of the canon and bishop Ferdinand of Castillo, who died in 1521, work wholly by Alonso de Covarrubias.
Chapel of the ambulatory
The original chapels were small and were designed to alternate in size, according to how the vaults were aligned. With time, reforms were made that completely changed the placement and size of some of these.The original chapels
Chapel of Saint Lucy: also called of Saint Joseph. Its original architecture from XIII century is preserved. It also contains some pictures and epitaphs.Chapel of the Old Monarchs: the previous chapel with this name, funded by Sancho IV, was located in the high part of the presbyterium, where the sepulchrs of the monarchs are paid respect. Cardenal Cisneros dismantled it and ordered for it to be moved to the place is now occupys. It is closed with a good grill by Domingo de Céspedes. The chapel contains three interesting retables: the center retable has eleven good Hispano-Flemish tables and a relic of the Holy Face, present from Pope Innocent X, which King Philip IV ordered to be placed here.
Chapel of Saint Ann: with a good plateresque grill and the tomb of its sponsor Juan de Mariana. It is one of the smallest chapels.
Chapel of Saint John the Baptist: closed with a Gothic grill. Its sponsor was the archdeacon of Niebla
Niebla, Spain
Niebla is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 4,200 inhabitants. A 2-km town wall surrounds the perimeter of the town.-External links:...
and canon of Toledo Fernando Díaz de Toledo. In the enclosure a relic with a valuable ivory statue of Christ is preserved. The chapel has a sacristy, with a space corresponding to what was the chapel of Saint Britus or Saint Bricius.
Chapel of Saint Giles: considered as a jewel, the chapel is very small. Its sponsor was Miguel Díaz, canon and apostolic notary, a man of refined taste in terms of art and who commissioned the entire interior be painted with a decoration of Pompeiian style, the style which at that time was fashionable in the Monastery of El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
. The grill is also an example of good taste. On its interior, it has a small retable of various marblework.
Spaces of the Chapterhouse
Continuing onward are three spaces belonging to the Chapterhouse. The first (an old and small chapel) is a type of vestibule through which the second space is entered which is the Ante-Chapterhouse, with a cofferCoffer
A coffer in architecture, is a sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault...
ing of laceria which has as a finish a plateresque frieze. The entrance door to the Chapterhouse is also a mixture of mudéjar and plateresque, work by Bernardino Bonifacio de Tovar, built in 1510. This vestibule is furnished with good wardrobes designed by Gregorio Pardo.
Chapterhouse: from the part that acts as an ante-chapterhouse, this is accessed through a beautiful door with mudéjar decorations in the so-called Cisneros style. The chapterhouse was commissioned to be built abuting the apse by its south side, by cardinal Cisneros, during the year 1504. The plans were assigned to the architect Enrique Egas.
It is arectangular room with flat walls, with a ceiling covered with a good mudéjar-plateresque coffer
Coffer
A coffer in architecture, is a sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault...
ing, work by Diego López and Francisco de Lara which they designed between 1508 and 1510. The frieze (also called alicer) has very rich plateresque ornamentation. The entire room is traversed by a wood pew which functions as the seat of honor for the prelates, save the archbishopric chair which is at the end of the room, at the center of the wall, and was carved by Copín de Holanda and finished in 1514. Above the seats of honor, in two rows and traversing the walls are all the portraits of the archbishops from Saint Eugene to the latest. The author of the portraits from Saint Eugene to Cisneros was Juan de Borgoña. Those of Sandoval and Rojas was work by Tristán; of Moscoso, by Ricci; of Iguanzo, by Vicente López.
Between the gallery of portraits and the frieze of the coffer
Coffer
A coffer in architecture, is a sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault...
ing the walls are covered with fresco paintings. This constitutes as one of the great collections of Spanish wall paintings. The painted columns divide the panels where scenes of the life of the Virgin and of the Passion of Christ are represented. This is an exceptional work by Juan de Borgoña.
Capilla of Saint Ildephonsus: is situated in the center of the ambulatory and fronts the Transparente. It is consecrated under the protection of Saint Ildephonsus. Its construction dates from the end of XIV century, by expressed desire of Cardinal Gil Carrillo of Albornoz (as funeral chapel for himself and his family) which he did not see completed. Cardinal Albornoz died in Viterbo (Italy) in 1364 (or 1367) and his body was transferred to Toledo three years later, year in which his sepulchre was made which is shown in the center of this chapel.
The chapel occupied the space of three earlier chapels, one central chapel of a large size and two smaller side chapels. It is of octagonal plan, being one of the first chapels in which the model of eighths was used for funeral chapels.
In the central arch of the entrance is a painting with the portrait of Esteban Illán, who proclaimed Alfonso VIII as king of Castile and did this from the height of the tower of Saint Roman. The chapel cuenta with three styles of distantas periods: Gothic in the arches, vaults and a sepulchre; plateresue in the sepulchre of the bishop of Ávila; Neo-Classical in the central retable. This retable of XVIII century was made of marble, jasper and bronze. It was designed by Ventura Rodríguez
Ventura Rodríguez
Ventura Rodríguez Tizón was a Spanish architect and artist. Born at Ciempozuelos, Rodríguez was the son of a bricklayer. In 1727, he collaborated with his father in the work at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.-Major works:...
. The large relief of the center with the theme of the laying of hands of the chasuble on Saint Ildephonsus, built in marble, is work of Manuel Francisco Álvarez. It was completed during the time of Cardinal Lorenzana.
- The sepulchres
The sepulchre of Cardinal Gil Carrillo de Albornoz is in the center of the chapel, with Gothic decoration of small arches and lamenting figures on the four faces. To the right of the retable is the sepulchre of the bishop of Ávila Alonso Carrillo of Albornoz, who died in 1514. This is work of Vasco de la Zarza, Castilian Renaissance sculptor. This is considered the best work of the chapel. The remaining sepulchres are also tombs of the Albornoz family.
Chapel of Saint James: also called chapel of Álvaro de Luna for it was this historical figure who commissioned the chapel to be built and who funded it as a place of burial for himself and his family. It is one of the largest of the ambulatory, occupying the space of three of the old chapels, one large chapel and two small chapels. Its floor plan is in eight parts and very pure and select flamboyant style, of the best examples that exist in Spain. This style is reflected in the entrance arches with their openwork traceries and in the skylight of the blind arches of the interior, and the gables, ornaments (openwork and hanging festoon) and ribs that from the floor cross the vault forming a star. Nevertheless, in the exterior the features are austere, completely Hispanic. It faces the white and pleasant stone in the interior, here granite is used and the cupola tops off like a battlemented castle and with turrets.
- History
In 1435, High Constable Álvaro de Luna was in full apogee of political power. He wanted his own funeral chapel in the primate cathedral for his burial and of his family and because of this he bought the earlier chapel of Saint Thomas of Canterbury which had been commissioned to be built in XII century by Queen Eleonor Plantagenet, this being the first chapel dedicated to this saint outside of England. It is known that Álvaro de Luna commissioned his sepulchre to be built while still alive for which a round figure of his person was made that consisted in a somewhat strange device because the bronze figure raised up and knelt down by means of a special mechanism at the moment at which the mass started. When he died, the chapel was still in construction so its completion was placed in care of his wife Juana de Pimentel and later of his daughter María de Luna who commissioned the sculpting the sarcophagi of her parents in 1498, probable date of the completion of the chapel. The construction was brought to completion by the great team of Hanequin de Bruselas.
- Retable
The retable is Gothic, work of Pedro de Gumiel with 14 panels painted by Sancho of Zamora. He was contracted by María de Luna in 1488. In the center is the statue of Saint James, work of Juan de Segovia. In the center of the predella is represented the scene of the Weeping Before a Dead Christ and to his sides are the high constable and his wife as patrons accompanied by Saint Francis and Saint Anthony.
- Burials
The two sepulchres that are in the center of the chapel corresponde to the High Constable Álvaro de Luna and to his wife Juana de Pimentel. The reclining figures are Hispano-Flemish sculptures of Pablo Ortiz. The praying figures of the corners are of high quality. On the sepulchre of the high constable are knights of Saint James and on that of his wife are Franciscan frairs.
In the roya tombs are the burials of Juan de Luna (son of the high constable), Álvaro de Luna (father of the high constable), the archbishop Juan of Cerezuela (brother of the high constable) and archbishop Pedro de Luna (uncle of the high constable). At the present time, this mausoleum pertains to the dukes of the Infante who has his own funeral crypt below the chapel.
Chapel of Saint Leocadia: has a lattice of flamboyant rock. It serves as a funeral chapel for the canon Juan Ruiz Ribera who commissioned for it to be restorated in 1536. His ashes are in an urn located inside of a niche. In the front wall his uncle Juan Ruiz the Elder is buried. In the retable is the namesake image of Saint Leocadia, painting of XVIII century, painted by Ramón Seyro (student of Mariano Salvador Maella), framed in white and black marblework.
Chapel of the Christ of the Column: is a very small space. The most significant feature is the retable attributed to Copín of Holanda, where there are good carvings of Christ attached to the column between Saint Peter and Saint John, in position of prayer.
Chapels of the north wall
Chapel of Saint Peter: is situated between the door of the Clock and that of Saint Catherine (which leads to the cloister). Its patron was Sancho de Rojas who has his burial in this place. More than a chapel, it is a small church that sometimes serves as parish church. It is accessed by a grill limited by a Gothic façade with archivolts decorated with vegetable and heraldic themes in which replicate a 5-star motif found in the coat of arms of the Rojas. This entrance is over a wall with fresco paintings attributed to Pedro BerruguetePedro Berruguete
Pedro Berruguete was a Spanish painter; his art is regarded as a transitional style between gothic and Renaissance. Born in Paredes de Nava, Spain, he went to Italy in 1480 and worked in Federico III da Montefeltro's court in Urbino, where he could see some works by Melozzo da Forlì...
or to Íñigo Comontes. A bust image of the archbishop decorated the vertex of the last archivolt, and to the right and left the small busts of the 14 ranking bishops of the chapter. In the center and over the statuette of the archbishop is another Gothic image of Saint Peter in Catedra.
Chapel of Mercy: funded by the canon treasurer Alfonso Martínez for his burial. The altar is dedicated to Saint Teresa whose image is attributed to Pedro de Mena
Pedro de Mena
Pedro de Mena or Pedro Mena y Medrano was a Spanish sculptor.-Biography:He was born at Granada, in Andalusia. He was a pupil of his father Alonso de Mena as well as of Alonzo Cano. His first conspicuous success was achieved in work for the convent of St...
or to his studio.
Chapel of the baptismal font: The most notable feature is the ironwork screen by Domingo of Céspedes. The bronze baptismal font is highly decorated with Gothic-Renaissance elements.
Chapel of Our Lady of the Old: has a decorated ironwork screen. It is consecrated to the Virgin of the Old, an icon which tradition claims that it predates the Moorish conquest of Toledo.
Chapel of Doña Teresa de Haro: also known as of the Christ of the Spoons in reference to the ladles of the coat of arms of the López de Padilla family. It was funded by Teresa, lady of the Marshal Diego López de Padilla.
Compositive unity of Herrerian spaces
This is in regards to the comprehensive architectural collection of the spaces of the Sacristy (including vestuary and other rooms), courtyard and house of the Treasurer, chapel of the Tabernacle and chapel of the Eighths or Reliquary, situated at the north side of the cathedral.Sacristy
Vincenzo Carducci
Vincenzo Carducci was an Italian painter.He was born in Florence, and was trained as a painter by his brother Bartolomeo, whom he followed to Madrid as a boy....
and Eugenio Caxés
Eugenio Caxés
Eugenio Caxés was a Spanish painter of the Baroque period.He was born into a Florentine family in Madrid, and wrote his name in a variety of ways . His father, Patricio, was a disciple of Alessandro Allori and was recruited to Spain by the ambassador Luis de Requesens. Caxés painted in the royal...
, also Francisco Ricci and Luca Giordano
Luca Giordano
Luca Giordano was an Italian late Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain....
.
The design of the sacristy was by Francisco Vergara the Greater and Juan Bautista Monegro, in Herrerian
Herrerian
The Herrerian was developed in Spain during the last third of the 16th century under the reign of Philip II , and continued in force in the 17th century, but transformed by the Baroque current of the time...
style. The barrel vault with half-moon motifs is lavishly decorate with the paintings of the Neapolitan Luca Giordano
Luca Giordano
Luca Giordano was an Italian late Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain....
. The principal theme is the Laying of Hands of the Chasuble on Saint Ildephonsus, theme which is found repeated throughout the cathedral as much in paintings as in sculpture. On the walls is displayed a great variety of paintings framed with much style, which form an authentic art gallery of great value. The most praised are the 15 of El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
(with a complete studio), over all El Expolio
The Disrobing of Christ
The Disrobing of Christ or El Expolio is a painting begun in the summer of 1577 and completed in the spring of 1579 for the High Altar of the sacristy of the Cathedral of Toledo, where it still hangs. It is one of El Greco's most famous works...
, which is as retable of the altar at the back, framed in marblework and two Corinthian columns. The other paintings belong to the artists Luis de Morales
Luis de Morales
Luis de Morales was a Spanish painter born in Badajoz, Extremadura. Known as "El Divino", most of his work was of religious subjects, including many representations of the Madonna and Child and the Passion....
, Pedro de Orrente, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz
Juan Pantoja de la Cruz
Juan Pantoja de La Cruz Spanish painter, one of the best representatives of the Spanish school of court painters. He worked for Philip II and Philip III. The Museo del Prado contains examples of his severe portraiture style.- Life :Juan Pantoja de La Cruz was, born 1553 in Valladolid...
, Juan de Borgoña
Juan de Borgoña
Juan de Borgoña , was a High Renaissance painter who was born in the Duchy of Burgundy, probably just before it ceased to exist as an independent state, and was active in Spain from about 1495 to 1536. His earliest documented work was painted in 1495 for the cloister of the Cathedral of Toledo...
, Luis Tristán, Anthony van Dyck
Anthony van Dyck
Sir Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England. He is most famous for his portraits of Charles I of England and his family and court, painted with a relaxed elegance that was to be the dominant influence on English portrait-painting for the next...
, Goya, Bassano the Younger
Francesco Bassano the Younger
Francesco Bassano the Younger , also called Francesco Giambattista da Ponte or Francesco da Ponte the Younger, was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period....
and others. In addition to the paintings, in the sacristy there is a collection of valuable objects headlined by the Rich Bible of Saint Louis king of France which dates from 1250, with 750 miniatures on the cover and 5,000 distributed in the manuscript pages of the three volumes. This was an acquisition of Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
.
In the next room is the vestuary with a ceiling painted by Claudio Coello
Claudio Coello
Claudio Coello was a Spanish Baroque painter. Influenced by many other artists, including Diego Velázquez who was also of Portuguese descent, Coello is considered the last great Spanish painter of the 17th century....
and José Donoso. In this space are kept good paintings, replicas from Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
("Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
"), Velázquez
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
("Cardinal Gaspar de Borja") and Giovanni Bellini ("Burial of Christ"). There is another series of paintings by great artists whose collection constitutes an authentic museum.
At another space is the collection of garment that includes a large number of valuable pieces. There is a total of 70 suits; rain miters of XVI and XVII centuries, some embroidered by the father of Alonso de Covarrubias who held this office. The miter of archbishop Sancho de Aragón, son of James I of Aragon
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
, is special, embroidered with heraldic emblems. Another good example is the miter of Cardinal Gil de Albornoz with Gothic embroidery of scenes of the Bible and saints, principally English. The collection also contains the zucchetto
Zucchetto
The zucchetto , a/k/a pileolus in Latin and calotte/calotta in France, Italy and Hispanic nations, is a small skullcap worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in Anglicanism....
and an embroidered lapette of the great tiara
Tiara
A tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to.Traditionally, the word "tiara" refers to a high crown, often with the shape of a cylinder narrowed at its top, made of fabric or leather, and richly ornamented. It was used by the kings and emperors of...
that Charles I of Spain
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
wore at his coronation in Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
.
There is a Arab standard won in the Battle of Rio Salado
Battle of Rio Salado
The Battle of Río Salado was a battle of King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile against sultan Abu al-Hasan 'Ali of the Marinid dynasty of Morocco and the Nasrid ruler Yusuf I of the Kingdom of Granada.-Campaign:...
. The collection of tapestry passes the 70 exemplary ones. Many are sketches by Rubens, gift made by Archbishop Fernández Portocorracero, which he commissioned ex profeso for the cathedral. Some are displayed on the walls of the cathedral during the days of the festivities of the Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (feast)
Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...
.
Chapel of the Virgin of the Tabernacle
Along with the adjacent chapel called of the Eighths, these constitute the best example of Herrerian buildings of this cathedral. The grandour of its new structure and ornamentation of stark Herrerian style of XVI century (ending) is owed to Cardinal Bernardo de Rojas y Sandoval. The works were initiated by Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo and ended around 1616. Juan Bautista Monegro and Jorge Manuel Theotocópuli (son of the painter) participated.The chapel is under the protection of the Virgin of the Tabernacle, a Roman-style carving which was covered in silver in XIII century and later dressed with a mantle studded in pearls. This image was known by the name of Saint Mary. It must be said that a traditional legend says that it belonged to the Apostles and was brought to Toledo by Saint Eugene. Also entering into the legend is the fact that it was hidden at the time of the Muslims and restorated later by King Alfonso VI.
The walls are covered in marblework and its great cupola are supported above pendentives. In the north wall is the altar with the image of the Virgin and in one of the side walls, the sepulchre of Cardinal Sandoval y Rojas.
Chapel of the Eighths
This chapel is so named because of its octagonal plan, though sometimes called the chapel of the Reliquary for the many relics kept there. The entrance to this chapel is by two doors flanking the altar of the chapel of the Tabernacle. The walls are decorated with marblework. The chapel is crowned by a cupola with lantern which rests on a drum, work of Jorge Manuel Theotocópuli, while the interior of the cupola was decorated by the painters Francisco Ricci and Juan CarreñoJuan Carreño
Juan Carreño Lara was a Mexican footballer, and a participant of the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He was the first Mexican to score in the FIFA World Cup. During this tournament he was connected with Atlante F.C.. He also scored Mexico’s first goal in Olympic Games in Amsterdam 1928...
. In the retables semi-detached to the walls, are historically and artistically interesting reliquaries. The relics include a piece of the veil of Saint Leocadia (the Hispano-Roman Toledan virgin) which, according to the legend, was cut by Saint Ildephonsus off the Saint when she appeared in the year 666. It is also said that Recceswinth lent his knife to the saint to perform this act. The knife is also kept as a relic.
Stained glass windows
The oldest and also the most appreciated stained glass windows by its beautiful are those of the rose window of the transept (over the door of the Clock) and some of the ambulatory, even though these have a softer color. Then there are those of the main chapel and those of the north arm of the transept by the east side that display enormous figures of saints and apostles.
Many of the stained glass windows of XV century appear documented. It is known that on those of the main chapel and some of the transept worked the glass-maker Jacobo Dolfin and his servant Luis, and on those of the southern transept and some large windows of the main nave by the side of the epistle, the masters Pedro Bonifacio, Cristóbal, and the German monk Pedro. Later appears the local participation of the Toledan master Enrique.
The stained glass windows pertaining to XVI century are dressed with Renaissance drawings. On these worked renowned masters such as Vasco de Troya (in 1502), Juan de Cuesta (in 1506) and Alejo Ximénez (in 1509-1513) who worked on those of the side naves and the of the west façade. The stained glass windows of the rose window and door of the Lions are work of Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo.
At the beginning of XVIII century, stained glass windows were continued to be made to replace those which had been damaged. The artist Francisco Sánchez Martínez (one of the last glass-makers of the cathedral) was one of the good restorers, even though new designs were no longer produced and the models were repeated. During the years of Spanish Civil War the stained glass windows suffered much deterioration but in the last years of XX century a great effort of restoration and recuperation was made giving the collection its brilliance of other periods.
El transparente
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
called El Transparente
El Transparente
El Transparente is a Baroque altarpiece in the ambulatory of the Cathedral of Toledo. Its name refers to the unique illumination provided by a skylight in the vault above. It was created in 1729-1732 by Narciso Tomé and his 4 sons...
, several stories high, with fantastic figures of stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, bronze castings, and multiple colors of marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, a masterpiece of Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
mixed media by Narciso Tomé
Narciso Tomé
Narciso Tomé was a Spanish architect and sculptor of the late-Baroque or Rococo period.Born in Toro. With his brother, Diego, he sculpted in 1715, the facade of the University of Valladolid...
enhanced by the daily effect for a few minutes of a shaft of sunlight striking it through an appropriately oriented hole in the roof, giving the impression that the whole altar is rising to heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
. The fully Baroque display makes a strong contrast with the predominant Gothic style of the cathedral. It is from the play of light that this feature of the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
derives its name. The cathedral also receives its light through more than 750 stained glass windows, from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, the work of some of the best artists of those times.
The Renaissance grillwork in the cathedral
Candelabra
"Candelabra" is the traditional term for a set of multiple decorative candlesticks, each of which often holds a candle on each of multiple arms or branches connected to a column or pedestal...
and triangular candelabra. First, they were worked on in the forge and later were worked by lathe. The Renaissance grills are divided into two or three floors which in turn are horizontally divided with help of pillars and thicker columns which intercalate between the thinner balusters. Almost all have a finish with mythological figures, with medallions, candelabra and crowning. They were created in iron to be later plated in gold or silver. The master grillworkers who left their art in this cathedral were: Domingo de Céspedes, Francisco de Villalpando, Juan Francés and Julio Pascual.
Main Treasure of the cathedral
The Treasure is located in what was the old chapel of Saint John, or of the Quo Vadis, or of the Tower, which was known by these three names. It occupies the space fronting the Mozárabe chapel, on the north side, directly below the tower. In reality, it was never a true chapel, instead it served as sacristy to the chapel of the New Monarchs before its transfer.The Treasure has a unique façade because in the beginning it was going to be the funeral chapel of Cardinal Tavera, due to this sculptures and allusions as much of the death as the person of the Cardinal can be seen here. The façade was designed by Alonso of Covarrubias. It constists of a closed, round arch, in which the linteled door is opened, bordered by two very adorned columns. In the timpanum Covarrubias carved a bust of Saint John the Baptist, inside of a medallion or tondo held by angel tenantes. This saint was the patron of Cardinal Tavera. Over the arch there is a niche where the group of sculptures of Quo Vadis is above a floor of shells, in allusion to death (funeral chapel), work of the sculptor Olarte. The group is bordered by balustraded columns of rich ornamentation. On both sides of the niche are the coat of arms of Cardinal Tavera (which is repeated in a smaller size in the space that is between the curve of the arch of the entrance and the group of Quo Vadis, held by two angel tenantes) and below them, the coat of arms of the canon López de Ayala who was a great mecenas of the cathedral.
In the interior are multiple glass display cabinets that hold the treasure of the cathedral which consists of liturgical objects, relics, crosiers, clothing, etc. There are two good carvings, one of Juan Martínez Montañés and another of Pedro de Mena. The most valuable and important piece is the monumental monstrance of Enrique de Arfe, work from 1517 to 1524.
The Great Monstrance of Arfe
Corpus Christi
-Religion:* Corpus Christi , a Christian feast day, or solemnity which honors the Body of Christ ,-Places and related matters:* Corpus Christi, Texas** Corpus Christi Bay** Corpus Christi International Airport...
of Toledo
Toledo
- Places :Belize:*Toledo District*Toledo SettlementBrazil:*Pedro de Toledo, São Paulo*Toledo, ParanáColombia:*Toledo, Norte de SantanderPhilippines:*Toledo City, CebuSpain:*Toledo, Spain *Kingdom of Toledo...
.
The sculptor and maker of this monstrance, Enrique de Arfe was originally from Flanders and Germany. Arfe labored on it from 1517–1524, on commission to Cardinal Cisneros. It is of archaic Gothic design. Initially made of silver by 16th century, Archbishop Quiroga commissioned that it be plated in gold, to match the gold plated wood of the monstrance of the altar. It is encased under bulletproof glass and heavily guarded by automatic security system within the cathedral grounds of Toledo.
In the Middle Ages, Cardinal Cisneros wanted to compete for a grander monstrance than Isabella the Catholic to show it off in the procession of the Corpus Christi of Toledo which at the time was the most important feast in the Kingdom of Castile. The monstrance took seven years to create and its cost surpassed 15 million maravedís
Spanish maravedí
The maravedí was the name of various Iberian coins of gold and then silver between the 11th and 14th centuries and the name of different Iberian accounting units between the 11th and 19th centuries.-Etymology:...
, which Arce received, including the stipulated 2,700 reales
Spanish real
The real was a unit of currency in Spain for several centuries after the mid-14th century, but changed in value relative to other units introduced...
, a bonus of 2,500 maravedís that the cathedral's chapter presented to him on Christmas of 1523, having been impressed by his work.
The monstrance has a hexagonal ground base. It rises with small columns which are exquisitely made, with adornments of gems and varied figurines of angels, saints, fleurons, small bells and clappers. The work encloses in the last section where a cross of XVI century is located. The pedestal on which it sits is Baroque style of the 18th century.
Since 1595, it has been customary to carry out this monstrance in the procession of the Corpus Christi, on a float made for this purpose with an adjustable leveling which is mechanically activated. In the procession, ahead of the monstrance the political and ecclesiastical authorities and behind are the cadets of the Infantry Academy. The monstrance is built with the help of 12,500 bolts which secure it, 5,600 diverse pieces and 260 figurines. 183 kilograms of pure silver and 18 kilograms of 18 karat gold were used.
The following inscription of the Monstrance of Arfe reads the following:
Don Francisco Jiménez Cardinal Cisneros, Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, Governor of Spain and conqueror of Africa, commissioned this monstrance of the Most Holy Body of Christ to be made, which was finished during the vacant see, being worker Diego López de Ayala. Year of the Lord 1524.
In the 2011 World Youth Day
World Youth Day
World Youth Day is a youth-oriented Catholic Church event. While the event itself celebrates the Catholic faith, the invitation to attend extends to all youth, regardless of religious convictions....
, the Monstrance of Arfe was brought out of the Cathedral of Toledo into Cuatro Vientos
Cuatro Vientos
Cuatro Vientos is a ward of Madrid belonging to the district of Latina.-Geography:Cuatro Vientos is situated in the south-western area of central Madrid, close to the motorways A5 and M40 and to the homonymous airport.-External links:...
airport, where it was used for Eucharistic Adoration
Eucharistic adoration
Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church, and in a few Anglican and Lutheran churches, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored by the faithful....
presided by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
.
Monarchs buried in the cathedral
Throughout history, some kings wanted to make the cathedral their place of repose. Therefore, in different locations of the cathedral, are the sepulchres of:Monarchs of León
Sancha II 1230, Queen of León.
Monarchs of Castile
Sancho III the Desired, 1157–1158, Main Chapel.
Monarchs of Castile and León
Alfonso VII the Emperor, 1126–1157, and his wife Doña Berenguela, in the Main Chapel,
Sancho IV the Bravo, 1284–1295, Main Chapel,
Henry II 1369-1379, and his wife Juana Manuel, in the Chapel of the New Monarchs,
Juan I 1379-1390, in the Chapel of the New Monarchs,
Henry III the Infirm, 1390–1406, and his wife Katherine of Lancaster, in the Chapel of the New Monarchs,
John II 1406-1454, Chapel of the New Monarchs: cenotaph; his body is in the Chapterhouse of Miraflores, in Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
.
The Cloister
The works of the cloister were begun in 14 August 1389, with the laying of the first stone, and ended in 1425. On these worked the masters Rodrigo Alfonso and Alvar Martínez in a construction of four corridors with quadripartite vaults. The construction of the cloister was not free of history and legend. Since the fair was in the site where Pedro Tenorio planned his construction, the owners of the stands and shops were reluctant from the start. Eugenio Narbona accounted of the interest of the archbishop to occupy as quickly as possible "the markets, which is the place where the merchandise is sold." During the time in which the archbishop and the owners debated over the purchase and the prices, misfortune came in form of a fire which destroyed the entire market. So Pedro Tenorio took advantage of this for his purchase and, here enters the legend, the archbishop was accused of having provoced the disaster to be able to acquire the plots.
Given the release of the zone, a meter and a half was constructed above the level of the plan of the cathedral and in a way that it could support two heights, which was done with the arrival of Cardinal Cisneros. Tenorio did not spare any effort in ensuring that the grandeur and majesty of the cloister was worthy of cathedral Gothic.
It is worth noting, there being no monastic order in the cathedral, the destiny of the cloister and the rest of the pieces that were built along its perimeter had very different functiones at the time: from storeroom to classroom; as a place of mercantile transactions (recuperating the sense of the old alcana) or of prayer. It came to be a place of city gatherings and one of its halls was a Mozarabic chapel.
The Chapel of Saint Blaise
The chapel of Saint Blaise (by Pedro Tenorio) is on the lower level, covered by a vault of eights that is a reminder of the chapel's purpose as a funeral chapel. It is entered from the cloister itself and the start of work on it is debated: in general, a period that spanned from 1389 to 1398 is accepted, being finished shortly before the death of Pedro Tenorio, known for certain to be 10 May 1399.It is situated seven meters below street level, decision made after the beginning of construction due to the clutered image it was to the eye, which in the long run generated many humidity problems. The archbishop left prepared in writing the consecration to Saint Blaise and the income and debts of the chapter were established for its sustainment.
The chapel is decorated in two different parts. First, from the cornice to the ceiling, the Creed is represented in fourteen scenes in the manner of the hands of a clock. At the lower part of the cornice is the Final Judgement and scenes of saints. The authorship of the works is not clear, even though it remains attributed without a doubt to Florentine painters among who are mentioned as very probable Gherardo Starnina
Gherardo Starnina
Gherardo Starnina was an Italian painter from Florence.According to the biographer Giorgio Vasari, Starnina initially trained with Antonio Veneziano, then with Agnolo Gaddi. He is claimed to have participated in the painting of the frescos in the Castellani Chapel in Santa Croce, Florence...
and Nicolás de Antonio. The restorations deficient made and the deterioration that throughout the years has produced humidity has damaged the paintings closes to the floor, in some cases irremediably.
At the beginning of XXI century, a profound restoration of this chapel, consolidating the paintings and giving them back their original color and splendor, with the exception of those lost, irremediable fragments. A second task is close to being brought to a finish: the elimination of the humidity coming from the street Hombre de Palo, which could damage the collection again.
Music of the cathedral
The RenaissanceRenaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
occurred in all of Europe with an extension of religious music beyond the monasteries
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, becoming a key piece in the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
ic liturgy. To the grandeur of the cathedral a spectacular ritual must be provided where music has the mission of embracing the architectural work and continuing the glorification of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. Since 1440, the polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
vocal pieces spread throughout Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
and Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
with force. Instrumental music was produced by the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, which quickly found a place in archpriest cathedrals and churches.
In the cathedral of Toledo, the most important organ is the so-called Organ of the Emperor, in the transept of the cathedral. Next are the so-called General, the organ by Echevarria and the organ by Verdalonga, located in the choir. Cardinal Cisneros, with the reform of the chapel of the Corpus Christi for the Mozarabic rite
Mozarabic Rite
The Mozarabic, Visigothic, or Hispanic Rite is a form of Catholic worship within the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, and in the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church . Its beginning dates to the 7th century, and is localized in the Iberian Peninsula...
, with Mozarabic chant, introduced in the chapel another organ. Others are also in the rest of the important chapels: that of the New Monarchs (which has two), of the Alcázar, of the Virgin of the Sacristy and of Saint Peter.
Not only the organ was important. With the passing of the years, wind instrument
Wind instrument
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator , in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into a mouthpiece set at the end of the resonator. The pitch of the vibration is determined by the length of the tube and by manual modifications of...
s were introduced (flageolet
Flageolet
The flageolet is a woodwind musical instrument and a member of the fipple flute family. Its invention is ascribed to the 16th century Sieur Juvigny in 1581. There are two basic forms of the instrument: the French, having four finger holes on the front and two thumb holes on the back; and the...
s, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s and sackbut
Sackbut
The sackbut is a trombone from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, i.e., a musical instrument in the brass family similar to the trumpet except characterised by a telescopic slide with which the player varies the length of the tube to change pitches, thus allowing them to obtain chromaticism, as...
s), harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
s and other string instruments
Chordophone
A chordophone is any musical instrument that makes sound by way of a vibrating string or strings stretched between two points. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....
, like the so-called viola, which served as accompaniment to the vocal music. With the creation of the Chapel of Music throughout XVI and XVII centuries the oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
and the double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
were being incorporated, in advance of the flageolet and the sackbut.
The Six-piece or Children's choir of the cathedral were created as vocal group for Cardinal Silíceo who, in 22 July 1557, founded for these the College of Our lady of the Infantes, even though earlier the existence of moços (boys) who sang in the liturgical services was already mentioned in XII century. They were and are the Choir of the cathedral and of the Chapel of Music. In its constitution of XVI century, its red clothing was already established, which it still keeps with white surplice. In the College lived, generally, the kapellmeister
Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle and Meister . The words Kapelle and Meister derive from the Latin: capella and magister...
and other professors with the boys, who assured their formation and, including, for a time, their incorporation into the Royal University of Toledo. The constitutional charter, drafted by Silíceo on 9 May 1557, specifically instructed in its sixth point:
Among the kapellmeister
Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle and Meister . The words Kapelle and Meister derive from the Latin: capella and magister...
s, stood out Cristóbal de Morales
Cristóbal de Morales
Cristóbal de Morales was a Spanish composer of the Renaissance. He is generally considered to be the most influential Spanish composer before Victoria.- Life :...
(along the lines of Emendemus in melius and Peccatem me Quotidie), who had worked in the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
of Rome and came to compose 21 masses and more than 70 motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s, Matías Durango de los Arcos, Alonso Lobo
Alonso Lobo
Alonso Lobo was a Spanish composer of the late Renaissance. Although not as famous as Tomás Luís de Victoria, he was highly regarded at the time, and Victoria himself considered him to be his equal....
, Juan de Bonet and Paredes, Andrés de Torrentes, Ginés de Boluda and Francisco Juncá y Carol.
The influence of the music of the cathedral of Toledo was decisive in Spanish religious music. Not only in Mozarabic chant, but also in providing kapellmeisters who later went to other dioceses like Seville or Jaén, six-pieces which formed choirs in other cathedrals and even variations of Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
in the form of what is known as Cantus Eugenianus, Cantus Melodicus or Vulgo Melodía, owing to the melody masters of the cathedral (up to 18 masters have been accounted; this figure disappears with the Concordat of 1851) and whose majority of compositions is kept in the cathedral library.
Model and influence of the cathedral in religious architecture
Ximénez de Rada and those who followed him used master builders who had worked or had experience in French Gothic. The cathedrals of Paris or Le MansLe Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
were its point of reference. Nevertheless, as much as by the influence of the Mozarabic rite, as also by the Visigothic tradition and Castilian liturgy, the constructive solutions were accepted to a good degree such as the counter-rests, the buttresses or the pointed arches, but they resisted in importing the impressive French sanctuaries where the choir and the altar were located, opting for some smaller ones and situating the choir in the central nave. This had been the solution of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which came first.
These characteristics, joined with the condition of primate cathedral, favored the extension of the model to the rest of the Spanish cathedrals, with the exception of that of Burgos
Burgos Cathedral
The Burgos Cathedral is a Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral in Burgos, Spain. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is famous for its vast size and unique architecture. Its construction began in 1221, and was in use nine years later, although work continued on and off for two hundred years...
and that of León
León Cathedral
Santa María de León Cathedral, also called The House of Light or the Pulchra Leonina is situated in the city of León in north-western Spain. It was built on the site of previous Roman baths of the 2nd century which, 800 years later, king Ordoño II converted into a palace.The León Cathedral,...
which followed the French model with more fidelity. It can be noticed that the disposition of spaces is repeated in the cathedral of Cádiz, of Seville, of Palma of Mallorca, among others. And, as was foreseeable, the Spanish Empire carried the model of the Dives Toletana beyond, conditioning those which were constructed in the Americas and the Philippines.
Citations
The magnificence of the cathedral of Toledo has always raised among the critics and historians of art great admirations and compliments. Here are some citations from importantes persons in the world of art and architecture.- The French historian and archeologist Élie Lambert (1888–1961) made a profound study over Gothic art in general and over the cathedral of Toledo in particular. He wrote:
- Manuel Bartolomé Cossío (1857–1935), pedagogue and Spanish university professor, made the following critique:
- The architect born in Madrid Leopoldo Torres Balbás (1888–1960), says (Ars Hispaniae, VII):
- King Alfonso X the WiseAlfonso X of CastileAlfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
explains the reason for its construction in these terms: