Two Churches, a Dead Count, and a Monastery
There are dozens of churches in Toledo, but other than the cathedral, we visited only two.
The Church of Santo Tomé was built on the site of an 11th-century mosque, and the old minaret was changed into a bell tower. The church’s interior was pretty, though rather plain. There were many colorful statues, some of which l imagined would be carried in religious processions.
The real reason the church is famous is that it was the parish church of famed painter El Greco, and one of the side chapels contains El Greco’s masterpiece, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. The painting was large, about 15 feet tall. Below it was (apparently) the tomb of the real Count Orgaz.
The count was a pious and charitable man, and a benefactor of the Church of Santo Tomé. According to legend, when the count died, Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine miraculously appeared in human form, and buried the count’s body with their own hands. In the painting, each man’s face is the portrait of a real Toledo nobleman. (El Greco also included his own self-portrait - he’s the only man looking straight at the viewer. The boy is El Greco’s son.) I wonder how these men felt, being immortalized by a master painter on the wall of their own church. It must have been a great honor.
The Burial was an immediate sensation, with people flocking to Santo Tomé to see the painting soon after it was completed in 1587. I guess you could say it went viral, 16-century-style. Today, it is considered to be one of El Greco’s best works.
The Church of San Juan de los Reyes was actually part of a monastery with the same name, on the edge of the Jewish Quarter overlooking the Tagus River. It was a Franciscan monastery dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, built 1477-1504.
The large Gothic church was shaped like a cross, with several chapels. We were surprised to see rows of large eagles near the altar. Today, the church is a small Catholic parish, with most of its parishioners residing across the river.
From the garden in the attached cloister, we could see the roof with its many ornate pinnacles. The lower cloister had vaulted stone ceilings and was lined with stone statues of saints. The upper cloister had mujedár decorations - I especially loved the beautiful artesonado ceiling, with wood artfully joined to make geometric patterns. The upper cloister also had doorways leading to balconies in the church, and it was fun to see the nave from that higher viewpoint.
