Going back to historical beautiful Toledo in my blog to update this peculiar monument. Actually, we were walking first time there with the family and caught my attention to see it. Then, we saw it again each time in the city. Let me tell you a bit more on the Church of Santiago del Arrabal of Toledo!
This one was found by chance. We were walking, and walking all over this wonderful city of Toledo. I wanted to show my family the ramparts and gates of Toledo and going to one we stumbled upon this Church; it has been a long time by here so practically it was to know it as well as my family. The Church of Santiago del Arrabal , Santiago el Mayor or St James of the suburbs as the old word Arrabal means. Because it was located on the outside of the old inner city of Toledo.
I had it mentioned briefly in other posts on Toledo but it really deserve a post of its own. The Church of Santiago El Mayor or Santiago del Arrabal is a Catholic Church in Toledo, next to the Puerta Nueva de Bisagra or gate , in the northern part of the historic city center. Built in the second half of the 13C ( 1245–48) under the patronage of Sancho II, King of Portugal is one of the best examples of Mudejar Toledo architecture.
It has masonry and brick walls with doors framed in polylobular horseshoe arches. It has three semicircular apses whose exteriors are arched floors of different types (half-point, pointed and polylobular). Inside there are Arabic symbols like the ‘ Hand of Fatima ‘ or inscriptions on the wooden roof. The arches of the nerf are Gothic, like the vault of the transept. The altarpiece is Renaissance with Plateresque decoration, with images of the lives of Christ and the Apostle James the Elder (Santiago el Mayor). The bell tower is the oldest in the region dating from the 12C , square floor and double arc windows in horseshoe covered with a moulding which encloses the outward side of an arch.
Its location, close to the Puerta Vieja de Bisagra and in an old Muslim quarter, suggests that the Church must have been built in the place of an original temple, perhaps a mosque of its location also comes from the name, finding itself in the past to then outskirts of the old city, in the suburbs .
Saint Vincent Ferrer preached in this temple, leading his faithful to forcibly Christianize the synagogue in 1405, later turned into a Church with the name of Santa Maria la Blanca. He later came to preach in Vannes and my new area and he is buried in the Cathedral of St Peter in Vannes.
The Parish of the Church Santiago del Arrabal webpage: https://santiagoelmayor.org/santiago/
The Castilla La Mancha tourist office on the church: http://en.www.turismocastillalamancha.es/patrimonio/iglesia-de-santiago-del-arrabal-7364/
The Toledo tourist office on things to see other: https://turismo.toledo.es/que-visitar-en-toledo/
there you go folks, another dandy in my dear Spain. Beautiful historical and architectural glory of Toledo. Hope it helps enjoy this less seem gem of Toledo , worth a detour indeed for all the treasures of this icon of all of Spain.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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