| I have wanted to visit Toledo for at
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| | remains in Toledo. But in the city's San
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| least forty years and for one particular
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| | Tomé church, still in the place for
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| reason, being the canvases of Domenicos
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| | which it was conceived, is the painter's
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| Theotokopoulos, or El Greco as we have
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| | masterpiece, the Burial of Señor
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| learned to call him. Well, now I have
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| | Orgaz. It's so well known that the
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| been and I found what I sought, plus a
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| | experience of standing before it might
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| truly amazing and unexpected surprise.
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| | provoke déjà vu or anti-climax but,
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| Toledo is one of those celebrity tourist
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| | like all true masterpieces, it transcends
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| destinations that defy categorization. It
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| | even its own reputation by offering much
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| was a trading centre in Roman times. It
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| | more than its expectation. Painted in
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| was the Visigoth's capital in what we
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| | 1586, it depicts the interment of a
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| still call the Dark Ages. It became a
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| | medieval knight, a resident of Toledo,
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| splendid, rich, cosmopolitan, multi-faith
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| | philanthropist and benefactor of the Sane
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| trading city and artistic centre under
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| | Tomé church. In the foreground,
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| Muslim rule. The Christian era saw the
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| | Señor Orgaz's body is laid to rest.
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| construction and decoration of the
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| | Meanwhile, towards the top, his soul is
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| institutions and monuments that now
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| | admitted to heaven. Across the entire
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| comprise the city's current iconic
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| | width of the picture a line of mourners
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| identity. And, after the period of
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| | faces serves to separate the worldly
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| relative decline that affected all of
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| | lower half from the heavens above. Each
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| Spain, it is now one of the world's most
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| | person is a unique individual, each
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| visited tourist venues whilst retaining
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| | offering a different emotional and
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| its own, highly dignified life.
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| | perhaps political response to the burial.
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| Its setting is superb. Almost surrounded
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| | In the swirling heavens above, human
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| by the Rio Tajo, the outcrop towers over
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| | gravity has no place. There, everything
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| the gorge. And it is topped by a mass of
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| | glows with a cool white light, perhaps
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| buildings, each of which seems to state
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| | suggesting cascades of water rather than
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| its own competitive claim to grandeur.
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| | flights of passion. And it's the row of
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| Few of them can challenge the sheer scale
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| | human heads, with their intellects
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| of either the Alcazar or the cathedral.
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| | perhaps combined, that forms the boundary
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| The former is much reconstructed and
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| | between the material world below and the
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| rebuilt after being fought over many
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| | ethereal heavens above. A true
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| times, but its vast scale alone
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| | Renaissance message.
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| impresses, and surely, courtesy of El
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| | There are other El Greco originals and
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| Greco's painted cityscapes, is one of the
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| | several copies elsewhere in the city, in
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| most recognizable buildings one earth.
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| | Santo Domingo Antiguo, the cathedral,
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| The cathedral, on the other hand, is both
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| | Santa Cruz museum and Tavera museum.
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| monumental and aesthetically pleasing.
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| | Perhaps only the artist himself knows why
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| Its pictures include El Greco portraits
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| | so many of the people in his paintings
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| of the saints and an amazing, near cubist
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| | have pointed noses. But if all Toledo had
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| Madonna by Morales. One chapel has
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| | to offer was the Burial of Señor Orgaz
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| portraits of all the archbishops who have
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| | it would still demand a visit.
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| reigned there. The treasury has five
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| | The other venue with El Greco paintings
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| hundred years of their robes. And the
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| | is the Casa del Greco, but this is closed
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| ambulatory behind the altar has some of
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| | for restoration. There are a couple of
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| their cardinal's hats hanging from the
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| | very well known paintings in that
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| ceiling. Apparently they are hung over
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| | collection, notably a view of the city
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| the owner's tombs and remain there until
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| | with a map, so they have been re-housed
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| they rot. The hats, that is.
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| | in the nearby Victorio Macho museum.
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| There's an interesting point to be made
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| | Given my motivation for visiting Toledo,
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| about a visit to one of the town's
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| | I doubt whether I would have made the
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| smaller buildings, the Synagogue of Santa
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| | Victorio Macho museum a priority. He's a
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| Maria la Blanca. The period of Muslim
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| | twentieth century sculptor, born in
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| rule was marked by great tolerance.
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| | Palencia, Spain, and who spent many years
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| Though the different religious
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| | in Peru. It was the El Greco paintings,
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| communities had their own areas of the
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| | re-housed there, that drew me, but I left
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| city, Christians, Jews and Muslims built
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| | having experienced one of those wonderful
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| their own churches, synagogues and
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| | surprises that renders a particular trip
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| mosques. But after the re-conquest,
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| | not just memorable but etched in the
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| Christianity asserted its dominant and
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| | mind, never to be forgotten. Macho's work
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| normative creed and everything except the
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| | is astoundingly beautiful. There are
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| churches was suppressed. So the synagogue
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| | bronzes, stonework and drawings. His
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| became a church. An altarpiece was
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| | series of self portraits is masterful,
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| erected in front of the holy wall and
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| | the face full of doubt, but its
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| arches were bricked up so that Christian
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| | representation a model of expression and
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| paintings could be added. And since the
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| | confident technique. A female nude from
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| Christians actually did not believe that
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| | the back entitled The Guitar is
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| Jews and Muslims had actually converted,
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| | memorable, to say the least. But the most
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| a Holy Inquisition was established was
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| | stunning piece was the one a fellow
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| established to identify dissenters. It
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| | visitor described as just like her
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| was not long after this turbulent period
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| | grandmother. A small old woman dressed
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| that el Greco arrived in Toledo.
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| | entirely in black sits alone with her
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| Domenicos Theotokopoulos left Crete to
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| | head ever so slightly bowed. The head and
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| train as an artist in Venice. By 1577 he
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| | hands are white. Her expression at first
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| had settled in Toledo and there he
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| | seems detached, at least contemplative,
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| stayed. His unique style, a blend of high
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| | perhaps rather aloof and judgmental. But
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| Renaissance, Orthodox Church iconography
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| | it changes. A hint of a smile appears as
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| and emerging Mannerism is both instantly
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| | you study her face. And then the
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| recognizable and supremely expressive.
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| | sculpture seems to suggest the woman's
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| His use of light - or often lack of it,
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| | entire life. She is simultaneously old
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| since he often painted in the dark -
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| | and young, with the contrast of white
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| gives his canvases a strangely ethereal
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| | flesh and black clothes suggesting youth
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| whiteness which so often seems to stress
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| | and age. And it's all there in that
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| the humanity and therefore vulnerability
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| | enigmatic face.
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| of his subjects.
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| | So having found in Toledo the experience
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| El Greco's work, of course, is
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| | I sought, an experience of a quality I
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| represented in major collections
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| | had expected, the works of Victorio Macho
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| throughout the world and, it could be
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| | provided the surprise which made the
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| argued, the collection in the Prado far
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| | visit utterly memorable.
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| exceeds in importance and sensation what
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