TOLEDO (to-la'tho), a famous city of Spain; capital of a province, and long the capital of the whole country; on the N. bank of the Tagus, by which it is en compassed on three sides, 40 miles S. S. W. of Madrid. It is situated on a num ber of hills, 2,400 feet above sea-level; and the climate, excessively hot in sum mer, is bitterly cold in winter. The Tagus, surrounding the city on the E., S. and W., and flowing between high and rocky banks, leaves only one approach on the land side, which is defended by an inner and an outer wall, the former built by the Gothic King Wamba in the 7th cen tury, the latter by Alfonso VI. in 1109, and both remarkable for the number and beauty of their towers and gates. Seen from a distance the city has a most im posing appearance; within it is gloomy, silent, inert, and its narrow streets are irregular, ill-paved, and steep. In the middle of the city rises the lofty, mas sive cathedral, surrounded by numerous churches and convents, mostly deserted. The cathedral, built in 1227-1493, on the site of a former mosque (consecrated to Christian uses in 1086, but pulled down to make way for the new church), is a large oblong edifice with semi-circular apse, and belongs to the simplest, noblest style of Spanish-Gothic, with a few touches of the florid Gothic, classical, and Saracenic styles. The interior is more impressive than the exterior, which is blocked by other buildings on all sides save one. It was ransacked and plun dered in 1808, but it still contains some admirable stained glass, and pieces of sculpture. The cathedral is 404 feet long and 204 feet wide, and has five naves; the tower is 329 feet high. Connected with the cathedral are an extraordinary number of chapels, of great interest, alike from their architectural beauty, their decorations, ani their historical associa tions. The great square or Zocodover,
thoroughly Moorish in its architectural character, is a fashionable promenade, and was long the site on which heretics were burned and bull-fights took place. Moorish architecture is conspicuous in some churches, and in two gateways. The Alcazar, or old palace, the fortress corn-. manded by the Cid, rebuilt as a palace in the time of Charles V. and subse quently, occupied the highest part of the city, but was burned down in 1887. The buildings of the town include a theologi cal seminary, one or two old palaces, hospitals, what was once a great monas tery, town hall, etc. There are manu factures of church ornaments and vest ments in gold, silver, and silk, and con fections. The best Spanish is said to be spoken here. Toledan sword blades, fa mous since old Roman times, are still made. Pop. about 22,000. Province, area 5,919 square miles; pop. 440,000.
Toledo, the Toletum of the Romans, is of very early origin. It was the capital of the Goths during their dominion; in 714 it fell into the possession of the Moors, who retained it till 1085, when it was permanently annexed to the crown of Castile as capital. In the days of its highest prosperity it is said to have con tained 200,000 inhabitants. It was the headquarters of the Inquisition. The university, founded in 1498, is long since extinct. The whole place has now a dilapidated and broken-down appear ance.