The City of Three Religions

This morning, we headed out early to catch our bus to Toledo, also known as the “City of the Sword.” Traveling an hour south, we arrived in this beautiful city, where we were greeted by our tour guide. Our guide first took us around to enjoy the wondrous scenery, with hills and greenery enclosed by a rushing river.

Our first stop was the cathedral, first built in the 7th century and later designed by the famous Greek painter and architect, El Greco. Initially a Visigothic church, it was converted into a mosque by the Muslims and later became a cathedral under the Catholics. This cathedral is known for the miracle where the Virgin Mary is said to have placed her feet on a stone, which remains inside today. It also served as the burial place for kings of the time. We continued our tour, viewing a common nunnery and an excavated tomb used to bury the wealthy who belonged to the church.

Next, we visited the Jewish Quarter, exploring two museums that were once synagogues. Out of the ten original synagogues in Toledo, only these two remain. Built in the 13th century, the interiors featured eight-sided pillars symbolizing infinity, adorned with pine cones symbolizing entirety—reflecting the Muslim influence of the time. In 1411, after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, these synagogues were converted into churches and used for military purposes. The second museum was funded by the king due to his relationship with a certain rabbi. The walls featured Hebrew and Arabic scripture, and the ceramic tiles had eight-pointed stars symbolizing the Seal of Solomon. The walls also bore the coat of arms of Castile and León, symbolizing the king, illustrating the religious “convivencia” of the time.

Lastly, we observed a painting by El Greco of Don Gonzalo, a nobleman, depicting two saints—Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine—holding his dead body as if placing him in the grave. The painting also included depictions of Jesus, Mary, and Peter, with Don Gonzalo’s remains resting below it.

After returning to Madrid from Toledo, we attended a lecture about Jewish philosophy. The lecture delved into the beliefs of Aristotle and Galileo in the context of creation, exploring themes from Maimonides’ “Guide for the Perplexed.” We discussed various allegories in religious texts and the bridge between Jewish law and philosophy. One phrase that stuck with me was that the goal of human happiness is “to think about thinking in the abstract.”