Historic City of Toledo, Toledo, Spain

Successively a Roman municipium, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors and, in the 16th century, the temporary seat of supreme power under Charles V, Toledo is the repository of more than 2,000 years of history. Its masterpieces are the product of heterogeneous civilizations in an environment where the existence of three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – was a major factor.

Toledo is one of the Spanish cities with the greatest wealth of monuments. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage.

References:

UNESCO

User Reviews

J K (5 months ago)
Impressive gate to the city with lots of local shops selling local delicacies

Anthony Scott (10 months ago)
The architecture in this location as well as in the town of Toledo is so beautiful. Such a nice place to walk and see amazing views and enjoy the town with very nice people

Fernando Islas (13 months ago)
I used this as sort of a ‘marker’ because Toledo is a bit of a maze when walking through. I made my way into the city through one side and following roads in one direction and ended up on the complete other side but knowing exactly where I would end up by this monument. It’s huge and I highly suggest taking a couple of pictures while enjoying the scenery around the direct area. There are a couple of shops nearby as well that you should take a quick look at. It’s not much of a walk but it is a great spot to meet up or plan your walking trip around the city

Jorge Mario Montes Restrepo (14 months ago)
Just great. One of the best towns I've seen

Jonny Erixon (15 months ago)
A fantastic entrance to the old and interesting city. Opposite this gate is the tourist office, they are very helpful - it is smart to provide a free map there.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Luxembourg Palace

The famous Italian Medici family have given two queens to France: Catherine, the spouse of Henry II, and Marie, widow of Henry IV, who built the current Luxembourg palace. Maria di Medici had never been happy at the Louvre, still semi-medieval, where the fickle king, did not hesitate to receive his mistresses. The death of Henry IV, assassinated in 1610, left the way open for Marie's project. When she became regent, she was able to give special attention to the construction of an imposing modern residence that would be reminiscent of the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens in Florence, where she grew up. The development of the 25-hectare park, which was to serve as a jewel-case for the palace, began immediately.

The architect, Salomon de Brosse, began the work in 1615. Only 16 years later was the palace was completed. Palace of Luxembourg affords a transition between the Renaissance and the Classical period.

In 1750, the Director of the King's Buildings installed in the wing the first public art-gallery in France, in which French and foreign canvases of the royal collections are shown. The Count of Provence and future Louis XVIII, who was living in Petit Luxembourg, had this gallery closed in 1780: leaving to emigrate, he fled from the palace in June 1791.

During the French Revolution the palace was first abandoned and then moved as a national prison. After that it was the seat of the French Directory, and in 1799, the home of the Sénat conservateur and the first residence of Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul of the French Republic. The old apartments of Maria di Medici were altered. The floor, which the 80 senators only occupied in 1804, was built in the middle of the present Conference Hall.

Beginning in 1835 the architect Alphonse de Gisors added a new garden wing parallel to the old corps de logis, replicating the look of the original 17th-century facade so precisely that it is difficult to distinguish at first glance the old from the new. The new senate chamber was located in what would have been the courtyard area in-between.

The new wing included a library (bibliothèque) with a cycle of paintings (1845–1847) by Eugène Delacroix. In the 1850s, at the request of Emperor Napoleon III, Gisors created the highly decorated Salle des Conférences, which influenced the nature of subsequent official interiors of the Second Empire, including those of the Palais Garnier.

During the German occupation of Paris (1940–1944), Hermann Göring took over the palace as the headquarters of the Luftwaffe in France, taking for himself a sumptuous suite of rooms to accommodate his visits to the French capital. Since 1958 the Luxembourg palace has been the seat of the French Senate of the Fifth Republic.

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