| Toledo
Toledo is located in the center
of Spain, just south of Madrid, and is the capital of Castilla-La
Mancha and of the Toledo Province. The city is protected on three
sides by a gorge cut away by the Tagus River. The most famous
industry is the manufacture of steel and Damascene swords.
 Toledo
has many towers, old gates, narrow, winding streets, massive houses,
and predominantly Moorish architecture, which give it a medieval
atmosphere. In the center of the city rises a Gothic cathedral
(1227-1493) with 40 chapels. Other noteworthy architectural features
are the Gothic Church of San Juan de los Reyes and its adjoining
convent. The churches of Toledo contain some of the greatest works
of art in Spain, notably those by the painter El Greco. The highest
vantage point in Toledo is the Alcazar, a vast square edifice
with four towers, which now houses a military museum.
Segovia
 The
monumental size of the Roman aqueduct has become the icon of thismillennial
city. Segovia is its walls, its great plaza, its cathedral, its
Romanesque churches, its convents, its narrow streets, and its
splendid mansions. It has been and is the meeting point of cultures
down through the millennia: Roman, Arabic, Jewish and Christian.
The city today vibrates with
the same power and drive that symbolizes the majestic Alcazar
of the Middle Ages. Any traveler will be able to see that once
they are there it was worth the trip. Discover its Muslim architecture,
be amazed at the sheer mass of the aqueduct, and tour the castle
that looks as though it came straight out of a fairy-tale.
El Escorial
 Built
at the end of the 16th century the Escorial Monastery sits on
an exceptionally beautiful site in Castile. The austere style
of its architecture, a break with previous styles, had a considerable
influence on Spain for more than half a century. It was the retreat
of a mystic King and was, in the last years of Philippe the II
reign, the center of the greatest political power of that time.
El Valle de los Caidos
Another burial place
and monastery located just 15 kilometers from El Escorial is the
Valle De Los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen). The temple, dedicated
to the soldiers of the Spanish Civil War, is of monumental proportions,
crowned by a huge cross and several sculptures by Juan de Avalos.
The monument was built as a memorial to soldiers from both sides
of the Civil War but for many people it is just a reminder of
the pain and suffering that the dictator Francisco Franco imposed
on Spain.
Chinchón
 Chinchón
is one of the most picturesque and best-known towns within theAutonomous
Community of Madrid. The fact that it lies very close to the capital
city has not impinged on it conserving its own personality, with
its dark gray and ochre colored landscapes, bunches of houses
grouped upon hills surrounding its unique main Square and its
winding streets that are a witness to the life and history of
the village.
Cuenca
 This
medieval town sits high atop a spectacular ridge wedged between
two gorges. The main attraction here is the 15th-century casas
colgadas ("hanging houses") are so-named because of
their precarious position on the cliff's edge. The houses have
been restored back to their original condition and are now used
for alternate purposes one of which is the Museum of Spanish Abstract
Art. Museums of religious art and archeology are located near
the city's curious medieval cathedral.
Alcalá de Henares
 Alcalá
de Henares was the birthplace of Spain's most famous writer Miguel
de Cervantes Saavedra the writer of the masterpiece Don Quijote.
The city itself was the first planned University City in the world,
founded by Cardinal Jimenez de Cisneros in the early 16th century.
It was the original model for the Civitas Dei (City of God), the
ideal urban community, which Spanish missionaries brought to the
Americas, and also for universities in Europe. |
