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fine blades. This peace came to an end by the 14th century. The Spanish Inquisition created a tribunal and forced Jews and Muslims to choose either conversion to Catholisicm or exile. That was one blow to the city, setting it into decline. King Philip II moved his capital from Toledo to Madrid in 1561 and the city went into slow decline ever since that time.

However, Toledo today is a bustling, thriving city still respectful of its great past. There are many monuments to Toledo's past cosmopolitan glory. In fact, the monuments there are so numerous and important that the UNESCO declared it a world heritage city. Some of the impressive medieval structures preserved today are a 10th century mosque called Cristo de la Luz which shows off the gorgeous and intricate brickwork of Muslim crafstman, medieval synogogues of ornate decoration of similar artistry and beautiful gothic churches. The largest cathedral began construction in the 13th century and took over 200 years to complete. Also there are the two medieval bridges that span the Tagus river, one on the eastern side of the city and one in the west. There is the massive fortress called Alcazar. It served as a fortification, a palace and residence for Romans governers, Visigoth kings, Arabic rulers and Spanish kings. The Cathedral of St. Mary, also called the Primate Cathedral of Toledo is one of the greatest gothic structures in Spain and in Europe as well.It dominates the city center, as appropriate, since Toledo is a religious city. Inside this cathedral and other churches are paintings by a famous artist known as El Greco, the Greek, or Domenikos Theotokopoulos, his actual name.

Toldeo has an impressive skyline and one can overlook the city from a high rooftop and marvel at its old world beauty while sipping a glass of Spanish wine, or you can go for a stroll through its narrow old streets. From one side of its skyline you can see the massive walls of the impressive Alcazar and on the other, the famed cathedral, monuments to a glorious past. You can catch a beautiful Spanish sunset from one of the old medieval bridges that span the Tagus River, dreaming of its former golden age and its modern charm of today.

Learn more about this author, Victoria Jeffrey.
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