Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-25

Ferdinand and isabella brought fntoler-
ance with them. andsexpelied the Jews and
| confiscated their property. In 1882 every
| Jew was notified TO qpit Spain, and not less
| than 10000 were expelled. preferring ban
| ishment and the ss Of all their property
| to the REIMBURSEMENT of their faith. Jews
| Of Toledo plead daRkemRtion on the ground
J that their ancest9yS sweBe not concerned in
| the cruciixion: ore the persecution of the
saints; that they bad come from Judea a
century before tAes5 appearance of the
Christ. and. having hadrnothing to do with
should not be heldjrespensible for the acts
of members Of their trace from whom they
were separated bsf 2D06 miles Of distance
and over whom theys.tad no control or in
fuence whatever z he original petition of
the Toledo Jews for protection, with
Latin translation attached is still preserv-
ed in the archives OF the Vatican.
Old synagogues Preserved.
Two of the old Jewish synagogues have
been preserved, and are now called Ell
Transito3 and Santa Maria Blanca. The
former was erected by Samuel Levi. who
for more than twenty years served faith
fully as treasurer ofaPedro the Cruel and
Is said to have been q man of the highest
honor and ability. - But his ungrateful
master, coveting his wealth, confiscated all
his possessions and put him to death. The
other church was built in the early part of
the fifteenth century by the wealthy Jews
of that quarter. and was famous for the
originality of it's architecture, the beauty
of it's decorations and the exquisite cary
ing of it's ceiling, which was made of tim
bers and panels of cedar from the noun
tains of Lebanon After the foundations
of the synagogue We're laid the space be
tween, under the floor filled with
earth from Palestine, so that it was actu-
ally sacred ground.
When the Christians recovered Toledo
they not only seized the synagogues, but
adapted them to base uses, making them
store houses, barracks and even stables.
They covered the beautiful arabesqueS
with plaster and the mosaic and gliding
with whitewash, SO that what were per-
haps the most beautiful Jewish buildings
in. Europe were entirely defaced. Seven
teen thousand Jews, known as ''conversos,'
remained in Toledo until 1918. but each
head was taxed thirty pieces of silver
year, and many of them were sent before
the inquisition s..
The Magnificent City Wall.
The CITY of Toledo is surrounded by
ancient, welI-preserted wall, rich in Tone
magnificent in it's proportions and relieved
by picturesque towers, bastiens and gate
ways 1t was built In the seventh century
by King Wanda, the most glorious OF the
Gothic kings, who went about dressed in
gold and purple and rode through the mar,
row streets in a chariot OF ivory embossed
with gold There are two sets OF walls at
the weaker spots, the second being built by
Alfonso VI a Spaniard, in 1909 Toledo
always well U6IcHucu, anu dilhou6h ~
could easily be destroyed by our modern
artillery TODAY it could not be taken by
storm The walls follow the edges OF the
precipices, and from their towers you can
1ool, down into the tawny waters of the
Tagus Taking them all together, their
architectural designs, their tone and color
ing their associations with mighty men,
tragic events and departed glory, with
war romance and religion, these relics of
ave races the Jews the Romans, the Vfs1-
goths the Moors and the Spaniards, they
are perhaps. the most interesting anu the
most wonderful walls in the world
Rehind them rise a multitude OF cnurcnes'
towers palaces, chimneys and tiled ROOFS
not in glowing cofoTs, as you see theH III
son,e piaces but STERN and solemn in their
grandeur of somberfhues and severe out
lines In many Of thesold streets, Whlch
are steep narrow and winding. you nave
samples of the architecture Of all the races
I have named, but comparatively little Oh
the Roman period isbpreserved.
DELIGHT of Artists and Architects.
Most of the city is Gothic and saracenic'
and its odd-shaped arches, the deep case
ments. overhangfffg ewes. the roofs of
tinted tiles and baicdiifeas of iron curiously
wrought are the deffght' of architects and
artists. Half the 'chhrches are closed:
MANY have disappeared: some are still
standing half in Tuil7s.t u Most of the con-
vents are deserted, gwhite immense houses,
once occupied. by xleiEaad powerful princes
aions bsSe eeoa fhs e9esI the hill
where once STOOD heEcitafiel OF the Goths
is now covered with massive building,
the palace from which Chaffes-V ruled the
world. 1t is now zone of the military schools
OF Spain and this morning We saw a lot OF
good looking cadets in smart uniforms come
through its portals and scatter IN twes and
threes about the city for their daily exer-
else and recreation.
The old town is reached by the famous
Alcantara bridge-one lofty arch which
49, afnr- . no
guarded by splendid gateway of Moorish
design built fourteen hundred years ago.
The hotel omnibus; drawn by five horses.
follows winding, well-kept road carved
ages ago in the breast of the rock, that
finally is lost in maze Of narrow, crooked
streets with the weeks washing of the ten
ants hanging out of the windows Of the
houses over your head-all sorts of gar
ments of all sorts of colors, sizes and pat
terms.
A Historic Square.
Pretty soon the omnibus energies into
the public square called the Zocodover. one
of the most picturesque spots in Europe,
which has been the scene of many tragedies
and much history. There the inquisition
executed it's awful penalties upon unbe-
levers down till the beginning of the nine
teenth century. They show you the arch
way through which the victims were led,
often blindfolded and always in chains.
A fountain now stands upon the spot where
the fires of the autos de fe were kindled.
but If its waters should flow forever they
could not wash away the stains.
The square is inclosed by yellow buildings
that date back to the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries. the first floor being occupied by
portales or arcades and the shops which
open upon them are filled with modern
goods and are lighted with electricity.
A quadrangle is FORMED by a. single row Of
stone benches. most occupied by idle work
men in blue bleuses. 1 was told that they
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