HomeSpainToledo: the secret caves and the Templars

Toledo: the secret caves and the Templars

For: Javier Brandoli (text and photos)
Spain, A Place in the World
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¿How are Toledos? Arabic, the Christian, Jew, you got the miracle that all live together in harmony while… The beautiful Spanish city has the power to reinvent itself each visit. VOD in this report shows the most mysterious and hidden Toledo, the less visible to tourists: the eternal city of the Templars and secret caves.

Passageways leading to an unknown location. There, underground ancient city and a night that seems made to discover the mysteries left by their ancestors, the traveler starts a route that takes us one of the magical Toledo, there are many. In this case, our eyes wander over the city of the Templars. Fascinating journey that takes us back to the past of a military and religious order. The Spanish city was one of the enclaves in which he settled his legend.

We began our trip at the square Seco, in the upper part of the city. There are still some Templar crosses on the facades and, especially, from there you can see the parish of San Miguel. Next to it is the restaurant's Mansion, former administrative headquarters of the Order of the Temple in Toledo. The high church tower, that stands above the rest, if it gives more shade to the dark passage that began to draw historical. And is that under the foundations of imposing religious building is the first of a series of underground galleries that do not really know where it leads. It is believed that were connected to the stately homes of the knights of the Order, leading to the river or carried to the Castle of San Servando, located next to the Puente de Alcántara. A whole gallery system that contributes to enlarge the image of warrior-monks practiced secret rituals should not be seen. At present most of these tunnels have been boarded up and, say, have only been open a few doors and found that there was so grisly that never have been reopened. Return to this point when we stop at the Cave of Candil.

God says to the dead

The Church of San Miguel el Alto was abandoned in 1842 and suffered structural damage during the Civil War by shelling the nearby Alcázar. Today we are still doing reconstruction work, although in the decade of the 50 it was remodeled. Still, the temple is a map of Templar symbolism. All the neighborhood in which the Order took up residence was built in the twelfth century on ancient Roman and Visigoth. In the Koranic inscriptions, the monks who kept, is also believed to have belonged to the houses of Muslims before the arrival of the Templars. So, You can find verses of the Quran with inscriptions of worship to the virgin, another example of the relationship between the Order and all the culture brought from the Holy Land (crusades).

And is that under the foundations of imposing religious building is the first of a series of underground galleries that do not really know where it leads

The elements that identify the church with God's militia are numerous. There is a bell with the symbol of the Order and the capitals show shields with red cross. Addition, within the nave are the remains and tombstones funeral gentlemen, because it was used as a place of burial. Stands out from all these remains the great Magic Square, symbolizing the Holy Grail. There are many legends that put the holy grail, as well as the Ark of the Covenant or the Bureau of Solomon in the city of Toledo.

But among all the legends that tell us about Templars in Toledo, of the dead is God's appointed the most, if you want, have beautiful. They say that after the defeat of Alarcos, in which the Christian troops are outpaced by the Almohad, Muslims to undertake the march to regain Toledo. The Templars must defend the sector of the wall for the district of San Miguel, which settles, and the Commander meets the night before the men to pray to God guard. They ask their Lord for a sign to know how many will die in battle and the image of Christ appeared in the layers of some of the monks. For the commander a sign that all indicated they would be killed in combat.

To this notice, decided that the next morning not only would the fight identified, the remainder in the Church of San Miguel praying. When they returned to the fight without any casualties, in rejecting the attack of the Moors, entered the temple and found all the men killed and their bodies mummified. The baptismal font was filled with blood, instead of water, and only when the commander put his cross on it he diluted blood and water turned back. "You can not circumvent the designs of the Lord", understood the Knights. The incident occurred there soon became known in the rest of the city. Since then, the people went to the baptismal font to ask for miracles. The water container that heals the wounds of a knife, tradition says.

There are more puzzling mysteries of the Church of San Miguel el Alto. A black Madonna, cosmic stone or sacred vessel are some of the secrets that still keeps the place. Many historians believe that much remains to be discovered, but the guide leads us back to another fascinating place. A place of eternal night.

Chandelier Cave

The galleries are dug in the parish have a first stop, close, in the cave known as fixtures. It is known by that name because in the decade of the 70 there he met a company called the Candle. A group of intellectuals and artists who gathered in this enigmatic passenger compartment, seems, could be a primitive cave of the Celts. For lovers of mystery, is a blurred face of a woman on a jar (Wine was important in those social gatherings). The guide quickly solve the haunting mystery. "He painted one of those belonging to the society of Candil. Is your wife, watch it, since women were not admitted ". No more mystery.

The men dug in the rock and made their passages between the form of one of its most recognizable symbols, Tau is

But, the cave was taken centuries ago by the Knights Templar. If I had no roof and observed from the sky would be easy to see that this was. The men dug in the rock and made their passages between the form of one of its most recognizable symbols, Tau is. Ie, a T whose meaning has to do with the worship of the Mother Goddess. That, at least most scholars point, although there is no consensus on its origin (Egyptian, hebreo…). Why the Templars built these galleries? It seems that here could make hazing, some even believe they were places where they safeguarded the discoveries made in the Holy Land. Toledo is no exception to this legend. They only opened a door tapidas of this cave and were found dead and a great treasure. Many legends Lotusland, such as the Bureau of Solomon, table, for some; for other, a precious stone, Symbolism y cagada de sabiduría.
The cave was a place of rest and meditation. The knight fell to her to die and be born. A ritual in which the monk leaves his earthly body to embrace the beyond, the perfect harmony with God. Everything else is just stories that have been created, based or not, to enlarge the mystic to the Knights Templar. In fact, is said that when the bells rang the twelve o'clock, and the maze of streets of Old Toledo was empty, a procession of souls out of these caves. Warrior monks who defended their mystery and still fighting to preserve their ancient mysteries.

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El AVE Madrid with Toledo is an excellent option for those who do not want to leave the car in a parking lot with the car or circumvent its convoluted and narrow streets.
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There is much supply and prices. Next to the cathedral there are several hostels recommended by the Michelin Guide. We, the spirit of this page, not recommend anything that we have not tested (This traveler is fortunate to count on a friend's house in the beautiful city of La Mancha).
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-Alfileritos 24: A weakness of this traveler at Calle Alfileritos, 24 (hence the name). Four floors of an old house restored. Downstairs is a tapas bar where the remaining three are for long meals and table cloth. Good food, fine wines and decor that blends modern and classic. Traditional food make an avant-garde. Excellent.
-The restaurant El Cason of the Lopez, is a XVI century building in which it is documented that eating Cervantes and according to the Guinness Book of Records holds the world's smallest window. It's cheap and worth a visit for its uniqueness.
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-We recommend the traveler to do one of the many legends of the city. The cave where he says he was the table of Solomon, an ancient Roman cistern, is one of them. It is a beautiful legend documented. You can visit.
-Since this time we made a visit to Toledo magic, recommend reading the book "History, myths and legends of Toledo: fusion between history and legend ", Covarrubias Editions. Anyway, the literature on the city is very extensive and there are dozens of books to meet.

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