The church of Santo Tomas in Toledo dates from the 12C. It was rebuilt in the 14C at the behest of Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo, Lord of Orgaz. The main chapel and the Mudéjar tower date from this time. In the Capilla de la Concepción hangs the famous El Greco painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, 1586-8.
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The burial depicted in the painting is that of a noble Spanish person, Don Gonzalo Ruiz. He died in 1323. Legend says two saints, Saint Stephen and Saint Agustine, descended to witness the burial of Don Gonzalo Ruiz . Don Gonzalo was a pious man and he seems to have left a generous amount of money for the decoration of the Church of Santo Tome. He received the title of Count, it seems, due to his noble deeds, amongst which we find philanthropy. Don Gonzalo was buried at Santo Tome.
In 1580 a project was initiated by a priest, Andres Nuñez, to refurbish the chapel where Don Gonzalo, the Count of Orgaz, had been buried. It was at this time when El Greco was commissioned the painting and the legend above mentioned explains the way in which El Greco designed this masterpiece.
Santo Tome was not the only church Don Gonzalo supported. He also contributed to the reconstruction of other parish churches, like San Justo, San Bartolome, and also the construction of the church of San Esteban at the Monastery of Los Agustinos. Don Gonzalo indicated in his will that he desired to be buried in Santo Tome, at the humblest possible chapel.
The priest who commissioned the painting, Andres Nuñez de Madrid, is portrayed in the painting (the priest in white) The two saints hold Don Gonzalo. Some important nobles from Toledo are portrayed in the painting, including the self-portrait of El Greco himself (the character whose regard looks at the spectator of the painting.
Bearing in mind this is a very short visit and that includes the famous painting from el Greco, one of Toledo´s top attractions, we would strongly recommend getting this included in your to-do list whilst visiting Toledo.
The main reason to visit Santo Tome church is to enjoy the painting by El Greco, Burial of Count Orgaz. But the church can also be visited, it takes almost no time, and it offers certain interesting elements. From the outside, the tower of Santo Tome is an excellent example of Mudejar architecture in Spain. The use of bricks and the horseshoe arches that we find at Santo Tome´s tower are typical characteristics of Mudejar art.
Inside the church, there are other interesting works. The altarpiece dates back to the XVIth century. There is a fantastic marble image of the Virgin and three outstanding paintings from famous painter Luis Tristan. You will enjoy also two remarkable sculptures from Alonso Cano´s school.
The entrance ticket to enjoy the church of Santo Tomas can be acquired as part of the Toledo card (it includes four of the top sights in Toledo). If the idea of a flexible card is not for you, you may decide to book a private tour with a local guide and request a customized tour where you will be able to influence the itinerary based on your interests and things you would like to enjoy in Toledo.
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Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca in Toledo Built at the end of the 12C, it was rebuilt after a fire in the 13C. The interior of the Synagogue has five aisles, divided by horseshoe arches. The capitals are unusual, all being differently decorated with pine cones integrated into a geometrical arrangement. Around 1550 the synagogue was converted into a Christian church and three chapels
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We can recommend four restaurants located not far from the Santo Tome church and Greco´s Burial of Conde de Orgaz.
The hotel Eugenia de Montijo has a top-level restaurant and it can be a perfect choice if you plan to visit the cathedral after Santo Tome. Another interesting option also near the cathedral the vegetarian restaurant Madre Tierra. If you plan to visit the Jewish district after the Conde de Orgaz burial painting then two good quality options are La Fabrica de Harinas (the restaurant of Hotel San Juan de Los Reyes) and the Meson La Orza which specializes in meat dishes.
Eugenia de Montijo, Autograph Collection The Eugenia de Montijo, Autograph Collection hotel in Toledo, is housed within a former palatial estate, 200 m from the Cathedral of Toledo. This 5-star hotel was renovated in 2018 and refreshed providing modern features but keeping the expected charm of a hotel built at
Hotel San Juan de los Reyes is located in the historic city center of Toledo, housed within a charming old flour mill, that still conserves the original neomudejar façade dating back to the 19th century. The hotel is located in the Jewish quarter of the historic city center of Toledo,
