The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-05-29
An Ancient Spanish City.

Toledo is probably the most historically
interesting city in Spain. 1t is also one of
the most picturesque in it's situation and
physical aspect. 1t stands on height Of
some 300 feet above the surrounding pla-
teau, nearly 1900 feet above the sea.
There is tumble of rough granite hills
thrown down, as though Millions angels
had engaged in q contest here. The Ia
gus, the largest river in Spain, seeks for
its course to the sea among them. 1t tum-
bles through narrow defle, which sepa-
rates the most conspicuous of these hills
from the others, flows on three sides Of it
with precipitous banks and several cata-
racts, and then pursues its way more peace
ably to find the ocean at Lisbon, in Portu-
gal.
On this detached rock Toledo is built.
The river, with it's steep bluffs, defends it
on the east the west and the south.
Heavy walls and frowning castles guard it
on the north. The two principal entrances
cross the river by massive old bridges, for
titled by towers, and zigzag to the summit
of the rock Inside the walls the streets are
narrow and tortuous, the houses high and
substantial. The inhabitants are true
Castilians-grave, naughty, but civil
They speak the purest Spanish, a language
courtly and ceremonous. To speak zen
proprio Toledano" has been the test of the
highest form of the language since the
time of Cervantes.
In the heart of the city, which is the
seat of the Spanish primate towers the
great cathedral, many churches and con-
vents clustered about it. Half of these are
now as silent as tombs. The population
was once 200 900; it is now little more
than tenth of that number. Foreign in
yaders and domestic rcformers have robbed
the great religious city of its glory. Men
like Cardinal Mendoza, third king"
with Ferdinand and Isabella, and Car
dinal Ximenes, the active agent of the In
QUESTION, both of whom sleep here in
peace, would scarcely know the theocratic
city Where were once 10 churches about
half of them are closed and in a more or
less ruinous condition. Only four hospi
tails are left out of a. There were uni
versity and four colleges, The great build
ings in which they were royalty housed are
empty or converted to base uses. There
We're a score of converts, but the majority
of them are empty.
The curious traveller in Toledo today
finds the vcstiges of the Romans and the
Goths side by side with the creations of
the Spanish Moors and the Spanish Chris
tians. The city was taken by the Romans,
| being then IA place of importance 1913 b.
G. 1t has been supposed that many Jews
took refuge here when Jerusalem was cap
| tured by NebuchadneZZar. 1t Is certain
| that when the Moors seized Toledo ii was
filled with Hebrews who, having been op-
pressed by the Christianized Goths, took
part against them. When the Gothic king
dom was consolidated, after the decline of
| Rome, Toledo was made its capital. The
Cloths improved and repaired the Roman
| bridges and walls. The Moors took the
city in ia. The avenging Christians,
under Alfonso VI, recaptured it in 1885,
and Alfonso called himself emperor OF
| Toledo"
For several centuries, or until 1910,
when Charles V found the air of Madrid
favorable to his equity and phlegmatic tenn
| permanent, Toledo shared with Nalladolld,
Seville and Grenada the honor OF being the
capital of Spain 1t still continues to be
the religious capital.-From picturesque
Toledo" in Boston Herald.