Saturday, September 1, 2012 - Litany Lane Blog:
credence, Psalms 33, Matthew 25:14-30, St Beatrice, Order of the Immaculate Conception, Toledo Spain
credence, Psalms 33, Matthew 25:14-30, St Beatrice, Order of the Immaculate Conception, Toledo Spain
Good Day Bloggers!
Wishing everyone a Blessed Week!
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7..
We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift knowledge and free will as well,
make the most of it. Life on earth is a stepping to our eternal home in
Heaven. Its your choice whether to rise towards eternal light or lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to Heaven is our Soul, our Spirit...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Today's Word: credence cre·dence [kreed-ns]
Origin: 1300–50; Middle English < Middle French credence < Medieval Latin crēdentia. See credent, -ence
noun
1. belief as to the truth of something: to give credence to a claim.
2. something giving a claim to belief or confidence: letter of credence.
3. Also called credence table, credenza. Ecclesiastical . a small side table, shelf, or niche for holding articles used in the Eucharist service.
4. Furniture . credenza ( def. 1 ) .
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21
12 How blessed the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people he has chosen as his heritage.13 From heaven Yahweh looks down, he sees all the children of Adam,
18 But see how Yahweh watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his faithful love,
19 to rescue them from death and keep them alive in famine.
20 We are waiting for Yahweh; he is our help and our shield,
21 for in him our heart rejoices, in his holy name we trust.
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Today's Gospel Reading - Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus said to his
disciples: 'It is like a man about to go abroad who summoned his
servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five
talents, to another two, to a third one, each in proportion to his
ability. Then he set out on his journey. The man who had received
the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more.
The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the
man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid
his master's money.
Now a long time afterwards, the master of those
servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who
had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. "Sir,"
he said, "you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I
have made." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy
servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will
trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness." Next
the man with the two talents came forward. "Sir," he said, "you
entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made." His
master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have
shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with
greater; come and join in your master's happiness."
Last came
forward the man who had the single talent. "Sir," said he, "I had heard
you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering
where you had not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid
your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back." But his master answered him, "You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew
that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not
scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the
bankers, and on my return I would have got my money back with interest.
So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten
talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have
more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what
he has. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him into the
darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."
Reflection
•Today’s Gospel presents
to us the parable of the talents. This parable was between two other
parables: the Parable of the Ten virgins (Mt 25, 1-13) and the Parable
of the final Judgement (Mt 25, 31-46).These three parables clarify and
orientate persons concerning the coming of the Kingdom. The parable of
the Ten Virgins insists on vigilance: the Kingdom may arrive at any
moment. The Parable of the final Judgement says that in order to possess
the Kingdom it is necessary to accept the little ones. The Parable of
the talents orientates on what to do to make the Kingdom grow. It
speaks of the gifts and the charisma which persons receive from God.
Every person has qualities, knows something that he/she can teach
others. Nobody is only a pupil, nobody is only a teacher. We all learn
from one another.
A key to understand the parable: one of the things which has greater influence on the life of the people is the idea which we have of God. Among the Jews who followed the Pharisees, some imagined that God was a severe judge, who treated persons according to the merit they had gained through the observance of the Law. That produced fear in the persons and prevented them from growing. And, especially, prevented them from opening a space within them, to receive and accept the new experience of God which Jesus communicated. In order to help these persons, Matthew tells the story of the talents.
• Matthew 25, 14-15: The door of entrance in the parable. Jesus tells the story of a man, who before going abroad, entrusted his goods to his servants, giving them five, two and one talents, according to the capacity of each one. One talent was equal to 34 kg. of gold, which is not something small! In last instance, each one receives the same amount, because he receives “according to his capacity”. Anyone who has a big cup, receives a full cup. The man went on his journey, abroad where he remained for a long time. The story produces a certain moment of suspense. One does not know for what purpose the man entrusts his money to the servants; neither does one know the end.
• Matthew 25, 16-18: The way of acting of each one of the servants. The two first ones work and make the money produce a double amount. But the one who received one talent buried it so as not to lose it. It is a question of the goods of the Kingdom which are given to persons and to the communities according to their capacity. Everyone receives some good of the Kingdom, but not all respond in the same way!
• Matthew 25, 19-23: Rendering an account of the first and the second servants, and response of the master. After a long time, the man returned. The first two servants say the same thing: “Sir, you entrusted me with five/two talents, here are five/two more that I have made”. And the master gives the same response: “Well done, good and trustworthy servant, you have shown you are trustworthy in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness”.
• Matthew 25, 24-25: Rendering of account of the third servant. The third servant comes and says: “Sir, I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered, so I was afraid and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is!” In this phrase we have a mistaken idea of God which is criticized by Jesus. The servant considers God as a severe master. Before such a God, the human being is afraid and hides behind the exact and narrow-minded observance of the Law. The person thinks that acting in this way, the severity of the legislator will not punish him. In reality, such a person does not believe in God, but believes only in self and in the observance of the Law. This person closes up in self, separates herself from God and cannot be concerned about others. This person becomes incapable to grow and develop like a free person. This false image of God isolates the human being, kills the community, puts an end to joy and impoverishes life.
• Matthew 25, 26-27: The response of the Master to the third servant. The response of the master is ironic. He says: “Wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered; you should have deposited my money with the bankers and on my return I would have got my money back with interest!” The third servant was not coherent with the severe image which he had of God. If he imagined that God was severe, he should have, at least, placed the money in the bank. Then, he is condemned not by God but by the mistaken idea that he had of God and which makes him more immature and fearful than what he should have been. It was not possible for him to be coherent with the erroneous image which he had of God, because fear dehumanized and paralyzed life.
• Matthew 25, 28-30: The last word of the Lord which clarifies the parable. The master orders to take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.” This is the key which clarifies everything. In reality, the talents, the “money of the master”, the goods of the Kingdom, are love, service, sharing. It is everything which helps the community to grow and reveals the presence of God. Anyone who closes himself in self out of fear of losing the little that he has, at the end will lose even the little that he has. But the person who does not think of self, and gives herself to others, grows and receives in turn, in an unexpected way, everything which she has given and even more. Anyone who loses his life will find it, and anyone who has the courage to lose his life will find it”.
• The different money of the Kingdom. There is no difference between those who have received more and those who have received less. All have their gift according to their capacity. What is important is that this gift be placed at the service of the Kingdom and make the goods of the Kingdom grow. These gifts are love, fraternal spirit, sharing. The principal key of the parable does not consist in making the talents render something, but rather in relating with God in a correct way. The two first servants ask for nothing, they do not seek their own good, they do not want things for themselves, they do not close up in self, they do not calculate. In the most natural way, almost without being aware and without seeking their own merit, they begin to work, in such a way that the gift received from God may render for God and for the Kingdom. The third servant is afraid, and because of this does nothing. According to the norms of the ancient law, he acts correctly. He responds to the exigencies. He loses nothing and gains nothing. And because of this he loses even what he had. The Kingdom is a risk. Anyone who does not want to run risks will lose the Kingdom!
Personal questions
• In our community, do we
try to know and value the gifts of each person? Is our community a
place where persons are able to make known their talents and make them
available to others? Sometimes, the gifts of some generate envy and
competitiveness in others. How do we react?
• How is the following phrase to be understood: “For anyone who has will be given more and will have in abundance; but anyone who does not have will be taken away even what he has”?
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Saint Beatrice de Menezes da Silva
Feast Day: September 1
Patron Saint: prisoners
Beatrice de Menezes da Silva, O.I.C. (sometimes called "Brites") (Spanish: Beatriz da Silva y de Menezes), (Ceuta, Kingdom of Portugal, ca. 1424 – Toledo, Spain, August 9, 1492) was a noblewoman of Portugal, who became a nun and was the foundress of the monastic Order of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. She is honored as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.
She was one of the eleven children of Rui Gomes da Silva, the first Magistrate of Campo Maior, located on the border of Spain and Portugal, and of Isabel de Menezes, an illegitimate daughter of Dom Pedro de Menezes, 1st Count of Vila Real and 2nd Count of Viana do Alentejo, in whose army her father was serving at the time of her birth. She was born in Ceuta, located in North Africa, during her father's time of service in controlling the newly-conquered city. One of her brothers was the Blessed Amadeus of Portugal, O.F.M., a noted reformer of the Order of Friars Minor.[1]
Beatrice was raised in the castle of Infante John, Lord of Reguengos de Monsaraz. In 1447 Beatrice accompanied his daughter, Princess Isabel of Portugal, to Spain as her lady-in-waiting when Isabel left to marry King John II of Castile and became Queen of Castile and León. Beatrice was her good and close friend, (and later was to receive her support when she founded the Conceptionists).
Soon, however, her great beauty began to arouse the irrational jealousy
of the Queen, who had her imprisoned in a tiny cell. During this incarceration, Beatrice experienced an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which she was instructed to found a new Order in Mary's honor.
Beatrice finally escaped her imprisonment with difficulty and took refuge in the Dominican Second Order
monastery of nuns in Toledo. Here she led a life of holiness for forty
years, without becoming a member of that Order. In 1484 Beatrice, with
some companions, took possession of a monastery in Toledo (still the motherhouse of the Order) set apart for them by Queen Isabel for the new community, which was to be dedicated to honoring the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
In 1489, by permission of Pope Innocent VIII, the nuns adopted the Cistercian Rule, bound themselves to the daily recitation of the Office of the Immaculate Conception, and were placed under obedience to the Ordinary of the archdiocese. In 1501, Pope Alexander VI united this community with the Benedictine community of San Pedro de las Duenas, and put them all under the Rule of St. Clare. Pope Julius II gave the new religious Order a Rule of its own in 1511, and in 1616 special Constitutions were drawn up for the Order by Cardinal Francis Quiñones.
A second monastery was founded in 1507 at Torrigo, from which, in
turn, were established seven others. The Order soon spread through Portugal, Spain, Italy, and France, as well as in Brazil, then Portugal's colony in South America. (This foundation was later to separate from the monastic Order, and became Missionary Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. The foundress determined on the habit, which was white, with a white scapular and blue mantle.
Beatrice de Menezes da Silva was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1976. Her feast day is celebrated on 1 September, observed both by the Conceptionist nuns and the Franciscan Order.
References
- ^ Geneall.pt [1](Portuguese) The Spanish version of this article, however, cites an unreferenced recent document from the Vatican which states that modern research has proven her birthplace to have been Campo Maior.
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Today's Snippet : Conceptionists - Order of the Immaculate Conception
The Order of the Immaculate Conception (Ordo Inmaculatae Conceptionis), also known as the Conceptionists, are a contemplative religious order of nuns.[1] For five hundred years, they followed the Poor Clares Rule, but were recognized as a separate Catholic religious order.
Founded in 1484 at Toledo, Spain, by Saint Beatrice of Silva, a noblewoman of Portugal and sister of the Franciscan friar, Blessed Amadeus. On the marriage of Princess Isabel of Portugal with King John II of Castile,
Beatrice had accompanied the future Queen, her cousin, to the court of
her new husband. After the marriage, however, her great beauty aroused
the jealousy of the Queen, for which she was imprisoned. During that
time of incarceration, Beatrice experienced an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, telling her that the Blessed Mother wanted her to found a new Order in her honor.
Beatrice escaped with difficulty and took refuge in the Dominican Second Order
monastery at Toledo. There, for forty years, she led a life of
holiness, however without becoming a member of that Order. In 1484,
Beatrice, with some companions, took possession of a monastery in Toledo
(now the Monastery of the Order of the Immaculate Conception) set apart
for them by Queen Isabel .
In 1489, by permission of Pope Innocent VIII, the nuns adopted the Cistercian Rule, bound themselves to the daily recitation of the Divine Office of the Immaculate Conception, and were placed under obedience to the Ordinary of the diocese. In 1501, Pope Alexander VI united this community with the Benedictine community of San Pedro de las Duenas, under the Rule of St. Clare, but in 1511 Julius II gave it a Rule of its own. Special constitutions were drawn up for the Order in 1616 by Cardinal Francis Quiñones.
A second monastery was founded in 1507 at Torrigo, from which, in
turn, were established seven others. The congregation soon spread
through Portugal, Spain, Italy, and France, as well as in Portugal's colony of Brazil. (That community, however, later separated from the monastic Order to become a religious congregation of missionary Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.) The foundress determined on the habit, which was white, with a white scapular and blue mantle.
The foundress, Beatrice of Silva was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1976. Her feast day is 1st September.
Going back to the roots
A major change in the interior life and spiritual orientation of the Order developed at the end of the 20th century. The Second Vatican Council
had instructed all religious institutes to go back to the inspirations
and goals of their founders and to make sure that their current
orientation and lifestyles of the communities were in keeping with
these. Through the studies done by Mother Mercedes de Jesús Egido y Izquierdo
(1935-2004), a new direction was developed and tried on an experimental
basis at her monastery. After a trial of two years, new Constitutions were drawn up out the experience, which were submitted to Rome and approved by the Holy See in 1996 for this Order, removing from it the noticeable Franciscan influence imposed upon it by the papacy.
Mother Mercedes successfully argued that the Foundress vision was that
of a life lived in imitation of the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
She has become seen as a second foundress through her efforts. The
process for seeking Mother Mercedes canonization was formally opened at
the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception and St. Beatrice in Toledo on
November 8, 2011.
Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (France)
A branch of the Institute of the Holy Family, founded in 1820 by the Abbé Pierre Bonaventure Noailles, Canon of Bordeaux. Abbé Noailles when studying at the Seminary of Society of Saint-Sulpice, Paris,
conceived the idea of founding a congregation, in which Christians of
every class of life might lead a life of perfection. In 1820 he placed
the first three members of the Holy Family in a house at Bordeaux, under
the name of the Ladies of Loreto. As the numbers increased the
sisters were divided by their founder into two categories: (1) Those
engaged directly in the various works undertaken by the Institute; (2)
Lay sisters who perform household duties, and are called the Sisters of St. Martha. These are sub-divided into three branches: (a) The Sisters of St. Joseph who undertake the charge of orphans; (b) The Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who devote themselves to educational work; (c) The Sisters of Hope,
who nurse the sick. The Institute encountered much opposition at first,
but the constitutions have now been canonically approved by the Holy
See. The works of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception are numerous;
they devote themselves to educational work and visiting the poor.
In the early 20th century they had fifteen convents in Great Britain and Ireland,
to all of which and to five boarding-schools elementary schools are
attached. About 230 sisters taught in these convents, the English
Novitiate being at Rock Ferry, Cheshire. Attached to the Leeds convent is a juniorate for testing vocations.
The habit in England only is blue with a white girdle and a black veil. In Ireland they have one house in the Archdiocese of Armagh at Magherafelt, and another in Kildare, to both of which schools are attached. The institute has novitiate houses at Bordeaux, France; Bas-Oha, Liège, Belgium; Hortaleza, Madrid, Spain;, Natal, South Africa; Montreal, Canada; and two in Asia. Besides the novitiates there are juniorates attached to some of the convents. There is one at Lozère, Mende, France, and one at Liège, Belgium, and one at Fromista, Spain.
Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (Louisiana)
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| Former Immaculate Conception Convent, New Orleans |
Twenty years after Blessed Pope Pius IX's Apostolic Constitution, Ineffabilis Deus, the Archdiocese of New Orleans's second indigenous religious congregation of women was founded, as the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. They were founded in Labadieville, Louisiana,
by the French-born Reverend Cyprien Venissat and Miss Adelaide Elvina
Vienne. A former school-teacher, she took the Veil (as Mother Mary of
the Immaculate Conception, CIC) from the Most Reverend Napoléon-Joseph Perché, on July 11, 1874.
Their beautiful habit consisted of a black tunic and a blue Scapular, in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Community thrived as a much-needed teaching Order among the young in the State of Louisiana. Following the Second Vatican Council,
however, the Order's ranks dwindled (as with so many other
Communities), and as of March 9, 2011, there were only four living
Sisters (Angela, Elizabeth, Germaine, and Jerome).
In the 2007 film, The Church on Dauphine Street (by Ann
Hedreen and Rustin Thompson), their former Motherhouse, the Immaculate
Conception Convent, is featured. Built in 1932, it is now the St Gerard
Majella Center and Archdiocesan Deaf Ministry. The film traces its
restoration following the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina.
References
- "Congregation of the Immaculate Conception". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.
- The Catholic Church in Louisiana, by Roger Baudier, New Orleans, 1939.
- Guide to the Catholic Sisterhoods in the United States, edited by Thomas P. McCarthy, CSV, The Catholic University of America Press, 1964. ISBN 0-8132-1312-6
Today's Snippet : Toledo, Spain
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| Toledo Spain, El Greco |
Many famous people and artists were born or lived in Toledo, including Al-Zarqali, Garcilaso de la Vega, Eleanor of Toledo, Alfonso X and El Greco. It was also the place of important historic events such as the Visigothic Councils of Toledo. As of 2010, the city has a population of 82,489 and an area of 232.1 km2 (89.6 sq mi).
Toledo's Alcázar (Arabicized Latin word for palace-castle) became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.
Economy
The metal-working industry has historically been Toledo's economic
base, with a great tradition in the manufacture of swords and knives and
a significant production of razor blades, medical devices and
electrical products. Soap and toothpaste manufacture, flour milling,
glass and ceramics have also been important.
The manufacture of swords in the city of Toledo goes back to Roman times, but it was under Moorish rule and during the Reconquista that Toledo and its guild of sword-makers
played a key role. Between the 15th and 17th centuries the Toledo
sword-making industry enjoyed a great boom, to the point where its products came to be regarded as the best in Europe. Swords
and daggers were made by individual craftsmen, although the
sword-makers guild oversaw their quality. In the late 17th and early
18th century production began to decline, prompting the creation of the
Royal Arms Factory in 1761 by order of King Carlos III.
The Royal Factory brought together all the sword-makers guilds of the
city and it was located in the former mint. In 1777, recognizing the
need to expand the space, Carlos III commissioned the architect Sabatini
to construct a new building on the outskirts of the city. This was the
beginning of several phases of expansion. Its importance was such that
it eventually developed into a city within the city of Toledo.
In the 20th century, the production of knives and swords for the army was reduced to cavalry weapons only, and after the Spanish Civil War,
to the supply of swords to the officers and NCOs of the various
military units. Following the closure of the factory in the 1980s, the
building was renovated to house the campus of the Technological
University of Castilla-La Mancha in Toledo.
Culture
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| Old City of Toledo Spain |
From the 4th century to the 16th century about thirty synods were held at Toledo. The earliest, directed against Priscillian, assembled in 400. At the synod of 589 the Visigothic King Reccared declared his conversion from Arianism;
the synod of 633 decreed uniformity of liturgy throughout the
Visigothic kingdom and took stringent measures against baptized Jews who
had relapsed into their former faith. Other councils forbade
circumcision, Jewish rites and observance of the Sabbath and festivals.
Throughout the seventh century, Jews were flogged, executed, had their
property confiscated, were subjected to ruinous taxes, forbidden to
trade and, at times, dragged to the baptismal font. The council of 681 assured to the archbishop of Toledo the primacy of Spain. At Guadamur, very close to Toledo, was dug in 1858 the Treasure of Guarrazar, the best example of Visigothic art in Spain.
As nearly one hundred early canons of Toledo found a place in the Decretum Gratiani, they exerted an important influence on the development of ecclesiastical law. The synod of 1565–1566 concerned itself with the execution of the decrees of the Council of Trent; and the last council held at Toledo, 1582–1583, was guided in detail by Philip II.
Toledo was famed for religious tolerance and had large communities of Muslims and Jews until they were expelled from Spain in 1492 (Jews) and 1502 (Muslims). Today's city contains the religious monuments the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, the Synagogue of El Transito, Mosque of Cristo de la Luz and the church of San Sebastián dating from before the expulsion, still maintained in good condition. Among Ladino-speaking Sephardi Jews, in their various diasporas, the family name Toledano is still prevalent—indicating an ancestry traced back to this city (the name is also attested among non-Jews in various Spanish-speaking countries).
In the 13th century, Toledo was a major cultural center under the guidance of Alfonso X, called "El Sabio" ("the Wise") for his love of learning. The Toledo School of Translators, that had commenced under Archbishop Raymond of Toledo,
continued to bring vast stores of knowledge to Europe by rendering
great academic and philosophical works in Arabic into Latin. The Palacio de Galiana, built in the Mudéjar style, is one of the monuments that remain from that period.
The Cathedral of Toledo (Catedral de Toledo) was built between 1226–1493 and modeled after the Bourges Cathedral, though it also combines some characteristics of the Mudéjar style. It is remarkable for its incorporation of light and features the Baroque altar called El Transparente,
several stories high, with fantastic figures of stucco, paintings,
bronze castings, and multiple colors of marble, a masterpiece of medieval mixed media by Narciso Tomé
topped by the daily effect for just a few minutes of a shaft of light
from which this feature of the cathedral derives its name. Two notable
bridges secured access to Toledo across the Tajo, the Alcántara bridge and the later built San Martín bridge.
The Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes is a Franciscan monastery, built 1477-1504, in a remarkable combination of Gothic-Spanish-Flemish style with Mudéjar ornamentation.
Toledo was home to El Greco for the latter part of his life, and is the subject of some of his most famous paintings, including The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, exhibited in the Church of Santo Tomé.
When Philip II moved the royal court from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the old city went into a slow decline from which it never recovered.
Holidays
- Virgen del Valle: This pilgrimage is celebrated on May 1 at the Ermita de la Virgen del Valle, with a concentration popular holiday in that place.
- Easter: Declared of National Tourist Interest, is held in spring with various processions, highlighting those that take place on Good Friday, and religious and cultural events. Since the Civil War, most of the steps were burned or destroyed, so it had to create new steps or using images from other churches and convents Toledo. Being a city Toledo Castile, Holy Week is characterized as austere and introspective, as well as beauty, due in part to the beautiful framework in which it takes place: Toledo. Many people take advantage of the Easter break to visit the monastery churches that are only open to the general public at this time of year.
- Corpus Christi: Feast declared International Tourist Interest. Its origins lie in the thirteenth century and is probably the most beautiful Corpus Christi there. The processional cortege travels around two kilometers of streets and richly decorated awnings. In recent years, following the transfer of the traditional holiday Thursday present Sunday, was chosen to conduct two processions, one each of these days, with certain differences in members and protocol between them
- Virgen del Sagrario: On August 15 they celebrate the festival in honor of the Virgen del Sagrario. Procession is held inside the Cathedral and drinking water of the Virgin in jars.
Apart from these festivals should be noted that patterns of Toledo are:
- San Ildefonso, Toledo Visigoth bishop whose feast day is January 23.
- Santa Leocadia, virgin and martyr of Roman Hispania, which falls on December 9.
Historic-Artistic Sites
The city of Toledo was declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1940,
UNESCO later given the title of World Heritage in 1987. Sights include:
- Tomb of Saint Beatrice of Silva, founder of the Order of the Immaculate Conception, at the Conceptionist Monastery of Toledo.
- Castillo de San Servando. Medieval castle near the banks of the Tagus river and the Infantry Academy.
- The Gothic Cathedral, dating from the thirteenth century. Inside there is the Clear from Narciso Tome, in Baroque.
- Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes, in Elizabethan Gothic style (15th century)
- The Renaissance Museo-Hospital de Santa Cruz (16th century)
- Museo de El Greco. House-museum designed as a recreation of the artist's home, which was lost centuries ago. It houses several important paintings.
- Santa María la Blanca, the oldest synagogue building in Europe still standing, now owned by the Catholic Church.
- Synagogue de el Transito, in the Jewish Quarter. It is home to the Sephardic Museum.
- Hospital de Tavera Museum Duque de Lerma. Renaissance style, dates from the sixteenth century. Influenced the layout of El Escorial.
- Church of Santiago del Arrabal, in Mudéjar style.
- Iglesia de Santo Tome. Mudejar style, the fourteenth century, houses the famous Burial of Count Orgaz, by El Greco.
- El Cristo de la Luz, a small mosque-oratory built in 999, later extended with Mudejar apse for conversion into a church.
- Galiana Palace (13th century), in Mudejar style.
- Tornerías Mosque (11th century).
- Alcazar fortress (16th century), located in the highest part of town, overlooking the city. From 2009 it houses the collection of the Army Museum.
- Puerta de Bisagra Nueva. The main entrance and face of Toledo.
- Puerta de Bisagra The main entrance to the city in Andalusian times.
- Puerta del Sol. Mudejar style and built by the Knights Hospitallers in the fourteenth century.
- Puerta Bab al-Mardum. The oldest city gate of Toledo.
- New Gate of Hinge, by Alonso de Covarrubias (16th century, based on Arabic structures).
- Old door hinge or Puerta de Alfonso VI.
- Cambrón gate, of Muslim-16th century origin.
- San Román (Museum of the Councils and Visigoth culture).
- Ermita del Cristo de la Vega, in Mudéjar style (11th century).
- Alcántara bridge, Roman bridge across the Tagus
- Puente de San Martin, medieval bridge across the Tagus.
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| Windmills at Campo de Criptana in La Mancha |
- To mark the fourth centenary of the publication of the first part of Don Quixote,
the Council of Communities of Castile–La Mancha designed a series of
routes through the region crossing the various points cited in the
novel. Known as the Route of Don Quixote, two of the pathways
designated, sections 1 and 8, are based in Toledo; those linking the
city with La Mancha Castile and Montes de Toledo exploit the natural
route which passes through the Cigarrales and heads to Cobisa, Nambroca
Burguillos of Toledo, where it takes the Camino Real from Sevilla to
suddenly turn towards Mascaraque Almonacid de Toledo, deep into their
surroundings, near Mora, in La Mancha.
This stretch, Mascaraque-Toledo, of the Route of Don Quixote has recently been included in an official way on the Camino de Santiago in Levantine branch with origins in Cartagena, Alicante and Valencia, as both routes are declared a European Cultural Route on this stretch.
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