Through the Montes of Toledo: Orgaz

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Castle and old town

Surely many of you, without being passionate about Art in general, will know one of the most intense and at the same time most important works of that peculiar painter of Greek origin and settled in Toledo, in the time of King Felipe II, named Domenico Teotokopuli, el Greco: 'The burial of the Count of Orgaz'.

Castle of the Counts of Orgaz

Having made this brief but necessary introduction, I would like to invite you to take a brief, although I hope it will be an interesting walk, precisely through the city of Toledo, Orgaz, which is so closely related to this remarkable character.

Old rural architecture

To do this, it is necessary to travel about one hundred and thirteen kilometers from Madrid and about forty, approximately, from that 'capital of forgotten empires', as the German writer and poet, Rainer María Rilke, described Toledo, in the early years of the century. XX.

Narrow and landmark streets, always the castle

Located on a plain, next to those always mysterious Montes de Toledo that never end up giving birth to great enigmas of the past, which unfortunately almost always end up in the private showcases of individuals and therefore, outside of official studies and admiration Of the people, Orgaz, however, is not another of those many small towns lost in the forgotten and dusty roads of that same Mancha that saw the noble knight, Don Quixote, ride with indomitable determination.

Former inns today dining venues

In fact, and judging by the remarkable showiness of its monuments, it could be said that Orgaz is a town that still preserves, at least from the outside, the presence of historical importance, where the castle of the Counts of Orgaz stands out, mainly - One of the first to hold such a title was the Cid Campeador- who occupies a privileged position at the entrance to the town and its two imposing churches: Santo Tomás and La Concepción.

Baroque Church of Santo Tomás

It also preserves, as testimony of its rich medieval past, some arches of the wall that surrounded the town, such as the Arch of San José, which is located at the end of a Main Square, where that wonderful popular architecture stands out, where the arcades form strange avenues under which to shelter from the terrible summer sun or the persistent autumn rains, but also places where neighbors gather and the news circulate with the speed of lightning.

Buildings from another era

There still exists, under these same arcades and a few meters before reaching the medieval Door of San José, the old hospital of San Lorenzo - you know, the deacon who managed to get the Holy Chalice or Holy Grail that for centuries was preserved in Rome. the monastery of San Juan de la Peña and today it rests in a privileged place in the cathedral of Valencia, when the barbarian armies of Alarico stormed the city, ending centuries of Roman domination- founded by two priests of Orgaz, the Crespo brothers , in the eighteenth century to help travelers and the needy.

Panoramic of the Main Square

Also conserved in Orgaz, as faithful witnesses of a rich historical-artistic heritage, are some palaces, whose surnames may attract their attention: such as that of the Calderón de la Barca or that of the counts of Tierrapilares, in addition to the old mansion of the fearsome Inquisition.

The charm of the Castilian main squares

But the most outstanding thing, that which always invites adventure, is its rural, rustic architecture, with a medieval aspect, of narrow streets, always wrapped in the halos of mystery of its Chinese shadows, where it is always something more than a pleasant pleasure. Get lost, always having as a reference the castle towers and the towers of its imposing churches, which serve, at the same time, as a claim for the faithful and as a beacon of orientation for travelers.

Time seems to pass with melancholy parsimony

Houses with white facades, typical of these towns in La Mancha, that survive the centuries wall to wall and that in the summer seasons receive hundreds of visitors who are scattered around their corners noisily, either on gastronomic walks, from terrace to terrace, well in large groups that make good the title of that famous work by Fernando Fernán Gómez, 'Bicycles are for summer', later brought to the big screens.

The bikes are for the summer

In short: a place with a lot of history, with a lot of tradition, located a few kilometers from even more important towns, such as Los Yébenes, where the traveler can find many attractions and also become familiar with that Castilian gastronomy, where lamb, migas or the porridge, they always have, no doubt, a truly special flavor.

Restoration place in old Toledo patio

NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property and therefore are subject to my Copyright.

An old gothic palace converted into a candy store

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