Map of Toledo by José Arroyo Palomenque

Map of Toledo by José Arroyo Palomenque

Two angels with fanfares bear the city’s coat of arms centered above the map: Toledo, immortalized in a banderole. Stretching out underneath it is a wonderful panorama of the significant Spanish city, which played a large role in Spanish history over the centuries. Toledo was the capital of the Kingdom of Spain until the mid-16th century – the kings reigned over the city from the Alcazar enthroned above it. To this day, the city is the seat of the powerful archbishop and the highest cleric of the Catholic Church in Spain.

The Former Capitol in the 18th Century

José Arroyo Palomenque, a master builder from Toledo, recorded the image of his famous home city at the beginning of the 18th century in an elaborately designed map. This fascinating historical panorama depicts every detail of the city – which has largely preserved its original appearance up to today – in the finest detail and additionally boasts gorgeously colorful and figurative décor.

Bridges, Churches, and Palaces

The city is presented with monumental edifices and a maze of medieval streets – as seen from the south – between the Rìo Tajo in the foreground and framed by the hilly landscape in the background. Aside from the cathedral, the seat of the archbishop and the royal palace, numerous churches, synagogues, monasteries, hospitals, and bridges. Similarly, such special locations such as the Casa de comedias or the fire pits of La Vega, where the judgements of the Inquisition were carried out, were not left out.

The Gorgeous Illumination

This detailed and extremely appealing depiction of Toledo is one of the oldest and most accurate visions of the city. A wonderfully arranged directory of the most important monuments depicted is found in the lower part of the over 60 x 50 cm map. Furnished with numbers in the map, it naturally begins with the cathedral, archbishop’s palace, and the king’s seat of Alcazar. This directory is gorgeously designed, flanked by two exotically-dressed figures, floral ornamentation, angels, and additional figurative depictions on the lower margin of the map.