The ancient city of Toledo, once ravaged by civil war, now exudes tranquility

Toledo is a historic European city, occupied by the Romans in 192 BC. In 527 AD, the Visigoths ruled Spain and established their capital here. It fell to the Moors in 711 AD. After King Alfonso VI of Castile recaptured the city in 1085, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Castile and the religious center of the nation. In 1561, Philip II moved the capital to Madrid, leading to Toledo's decline, though its religious significance remained unchanged—it remains the seat of Spain's Cardinal Archbishop to this day. During the mid-1930s, it was one of the fiercest battlegrounds of the Spanish Civil War, with bullet-riddled walls still visible on surviving buildings. Today, however, Toledo is a picture of peace. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage City in 1987, Toledo boasts well-preserved ancient architecture, including over 70 historic structures such as Gothic, Mudejar, Baroque, and Neoclassical churches, monasteries, convents, palaces, city walls, and museums. Key attractions include the Bisagra Gate, Sun Gate, Cathedral, and Santo Tomé Church.