© Mark Wade
| Cid's Spain © Mark Wade |
The greatest Moorish city of central Spain, 70 km south of Madrid, in a loop of the Tajo River, conquered by the Christians from the Moors during the Cid’s time.
The place is first mentioned by Tito Livio as a 'small fortified villa', but grew under the later Romans and became the capital of Spain under the Visgoths. Under the Moors strong walls, bridges, and an immense library were built. The latter provided the source for the transfer of much ancient knowledge preserved by the Arabs but new to medieval Europe. Toledo was the site of the Cortes where the Cid demanded satisfaction from the Infantes de Carrion. In the Cid’s time it was ruled by the Banu Dhi-I-Nun, Andalusian Berbers of the Hawwara tribe. This same family held sway over large areas of central Spain and Valencia. Rulers in the Cid’s time were Yahya ibn Ismail al-Mamun (1044-1075), followed by Yahya ibn Hisham ibn Yahya al-Qadir (1075-1080, 1081-1085). Toledo was permanently conquered for the Christians by Alfonso VI of Castile in 1085.
The immense cathedral was begun in 1227, built on the site of the earlier Grand Mosque (itself built over the first century church of San Eugenio, the first bishop of Toledo). The grand churches and cathedrals within the walls date to the 13th Century and later. Of Toledo of the Cid's time, little remains except the configuration of the walls and streets, and the old Arab gate at Puerta de Bisagra. Latitude: 39.86. Longitude: -4.03.
And being in the Monastery he spake with Don Peransures, and took counsel with him, and fled away by night from the Monks, and went among the Moors to King Alimaymon of Toledo.
When Dona Urraca knew that her brother King Don Alfonso had fled to Toledo, she sent to him three good men of the kingdom of Leon, that they should be his counsellors, for she loved him well.
And Alimaymon ordered fair palaces to be edified for him, by the wall of the Alcazar, on the outer part, that the Moors of the city might do no displeasure neither to him nor to his companions: and they were hard by a garden of the King's, that he might go out and disport himself therein whensoever it pleased him.
Nevertheless when he saw the great honour of the King of Toledo, and how powerful he was, and that he was the Lord of so great chivalry, and of the noblest city which had belonged unto the Gothic Kings, from whom he himself was descended, it grieved him in his heart to see that city in the hands of the Moors: and he said within his heart, Lord God and Father Jesus Christ, it is wholly in thy power to give and to take away, and right it is that thy will should be done, even as thou hast done it to me, to whom thou gavest a kingdom, and it was thy will to take it away from me, and thou hast made me come hither to serve the enemies who were at the service of the King my father.
And he returned to Toledo and asked it of the King, and King Alimaymon gave it him, and he placed there his huntsmen and his fowlers who were Christians, and fortified the place as his own.
And the lineage of these people continued there till Don Juan, the third archbishop of Toledo, enlarged it, and peopled the parish of St. Pedro.
It came to pass after this that both the Kings one day came out of Toledo, and past over the bridge of Alcantara, and went into the royal garden to disport themselves therein and take their pleasure.
And at evening Don Alfonso lay down upon a bed to sleep, and King Alimaymon fell in talk with his favourites concerning his city of Toledo, how strong it was and how well provided with all things, and that he feared neither war of Moor nor Christian against it; and he asked them if it could by any means be lost in war.
And when the Easter of the Sheep was come, which the Moors celebrate, the King of Toledo went out of the city to kill the sheep at the place accustomed, as he was wont to do, and King Don Alfonso went with him.
And the other made answer, I dreamed a dream last night, that this Alfonso entered the city riding upon a huge boar, and many swine after him, who rooted up all Toledo with their snouts, and even the Mosques therein: Certes, he will one day become King of Toledo.
And thenceforth was the King of Toledo more secure of him, and held him even in greater favour than before.
And if they will hold with you, then give not you up the town, neither for a price, nor in exchange; but if they will not, let us then go to Toledo among the Moors, where your brother King Don Alfonso abideth.
And he set forth with all the knights and esquires of his table, and with all their retainers horse and foot, twelve hundred persons, all men of approved worth, a goodly company;-and they took the road to Toledo, meaning to join King Don Alfonso among the Moors.
And we, Lady, will go to Toledo to your brother King Don Alfonso, for we cannot defend Zamora; King Don Sancho is of so great heart and so resolute, that he will never break up the siege, and I do not hold it good that you should abide here longer.
Ye have done enough, and I do not hold it good that ye should perish; I command ye therefore give up the town to him within nine days, and I will go to Toledo to my brother King Don Alfonso.
In the meantime the Infanta Dona Urraca wrote letters secretly and sent messengers with them to Toledo to King Don Alfonso, telling him that King Don Sancho his brother was dead, and had left no heir, and that he should come as speedily as he could to receive the kingdoms.
Now Don Peransures, as he was a man of great understanding and understood the Arabick tongue, when he knew the death of King Don Sancho, and while he was devising how to get his Lord away from Toledo, rode out every day, as if to solace himself, on the way towards Castille, to see whom he might meet, and to learn tidings.
And he then besought him to renew the oath which he had taken, never to come against him nor his sons, but always to befriend them; and this same oath did the King of Toledo make unto him.
And the chiefs who were present said, that he and twelve of the knights who came with him from Toledo, should make this oath in the church at St. Gadea at Burgos, and that so he should be cleared.
In the second year of the reign of King Don Alfonso, the King of Cordova made war upon Alimaymon, King of Toledo, and did great damage in his land, and held him besieged in Toledo; and King Don Alfonso drew forth a great host and went to help the King of Toledo.
And when the King of Cordova knew that King Don Alfonso was coming, he rose up from before Toledo, and fled away, and the men of Toledo pursued him, and inflicted great loss upon him in his flight.
And when the army had halted at Olias, the King called for the messengers of Alimaymon, and took with him five knights, and rode to Toledo.
And the King of Toledo kissed King Don Alfonso's shoulder, for the joy and pleasure that he had in his heart at seeing him; and he gave thanks to God for what he had done to King Don Alfonso, and thanked him also for the truth which was in him, in coming thus to his deliverance, and for remembering the oath which they had made each to the other.
And they rejoiced together all that night, and great was the joy of the people of Toledo, because of the love which King Don Alfonso bore towards their Lord.
And when the King of Toledo saw these armed knights, and that the tent was surrounded, he was in great fear, and he asked of King Don Alfonso what it should be; and the King bade him eat, and said, that afterwards they would tell him.
And after they had eaten, King Don Alfonso said to Alimaymon, You made me swear and promise when you had me in Toledo in your power, that no evil should ever come against you on my part: now since I have you in my power I will that you release me from this oath and covenant.
And the King of Toledo consented to release him, and besought him to do him no other wrong, and he acquitted him from the promise three times.
Right joyful was the King of Toledo at this which King Don Alfonso had done, for the loyalty which he had shown towards him.
And from thenceforward the King of Cordova durst no more attack the King of Toledo.
And the Cid followed them to Atienza, and to Ciguenza, and Fita, and Guadalajara, and through the whole land of St. Esteban, as far as Toledo, slaying and burning, and plundering and destroying, and laying hands on all whom he found, so that he brought back seven thousand prisoners, men and women; and he and all his people returned rich and with great honour.
But when the King of Toledo heard of the hurt which he had received at the hands of the Cid, he sent to King Don Alfonso to complain thereof, and the King was greatly troubled.
And then the Ricos-omes who wished ill to the Cid, had the way open to do him evil with the King, and they said to the King, Sir, Ruydiez hath broken your faith, and the oath and promise which you made to the King of Toledo: and he hath done this for no other reason but that the Moors of Toledo may fall upon us here, and slay both you and us.
In these days King Yahia reigned in Toledo, the grandson of King Alimaymon, who had been the friend of King Don Alfonso; for Alimaymon was dead, and his son Hicem also.
And the Muzarabes who dwelt in the city sent to King Don Alfonso, exhorting him to win Toledo, which he might well do, now that he was no longer bound by his oath.
Howbeit King Don Alfonso speedily arrived, and the King of Badajoz, seeing that he could not maintain Toledo against him, retreated, and King Don Alfonso pursued him into his own dominions and gave orders that he should be attacked along the whole of his border, and did not leave him till he had plainly submitted.
Now had King Don Alfonso for many years cut down the bread and the wine and the fruits in all the country round about Toledo, and he made ready to go against the city.
For not only was Toledo a strong city, both by nature and in its walls and towers, but the flower of the chivalry of all Spain and of all Christendom was there assembled, and the Moors of Spain also, knowing that this was, as it were, the heart of their empire, did all they could to defend it: greatly to be blamed are they who neglected to transmit to us the memory of their deeds, and greatly have they wronged the worthy knights whose exploits should else have gained for them a never-dying renown.
The first Christian banner which entered the city was the banner of my Cid, and my Cid was the first Christian Alcayde of Toledo.
Now, Yahia, when he saw that he could by no means hold Toledo, because on the one hand the Moors would give it to the King of Badajoz, and on the other King Don Alfonso warred against it, he made a covenant with King Don Alfonso to yield the city to him, if he with the help of Alvar Fanez would put him in possession of Valencia, which had belonged unto Hicem and Alimaymon, his fathers, but which the Guazil Abdalla Azis held now as his own, calling himself King thereof.
This tax they levied upon the rich as well as the poor, and upon the great as well as the little, which they held to be a great evil and breach of their privileges, and thought that by his fault Valencia would be lost, even as Toledo had been.
And when the Cid saw that the heart of the King was changed, he returned to Valencia, and the King went back to Toledo.
They say that in former times it had belonged to Queen Seleyda, who was wife to Abanarrexit King of Belcab, which is beyond sea; and afterwards it had come to the Kings called Benivoyas, who were Lords of Andalusia; after that King Alimaymon of Toledo possessed it, and gave it to his wife, and she gave it to the wife of her son, who was the mother of this Yahia.
This King Bucar and his brother King Yucef were kinsmen of Alimaymon, who had been King of Toledo and Valencia, and this was the reason why Bucar said that Valencia had belonged to his forefathers.
I hold it good therefore to summon them to my Cortes, which I will assemble for this matter in Toledo, and the time assigned them shall be three months from this day; and do ye tell the Cid to come there with such of his people as he shall think good.
And he took Pero Bermudez by the hand and led him to Dona Ximena, who wept greatly at seeing him, and said, Ah, Pero Bermudez, what tidings bringest thou of my daughters? And he comforted her and said, Weep not, Lady, for I left them alive and well at Molina, and Alvar Fanez with them; by God's blessing you shall have good vengeance for them! Then the Cid seated himself near his wife, and Pero Bermudez took his seat before them, and told them all that he had done, and how the King had summoned them to the Cortes at Toledo.
My Cid the Campeador made ready to appear at the Cortes in Toledo, and he left the Bishop Don Hieronymo, and Martin Pelaez the Asturian, to command in Valencia, and five hundred knights with them, all hidalgos.
King Don Alfonso made no delay, but sent out his letters through Leon and Santiago, to the Portugueze and the Galicians, and they of Carrion, and the Castillians, that he would hold a Cortes in Toledo at the end of seven weeks, and that they who did not appear should no longer be accounted his vassals.
When my Cid drew nigh unto Toledo, he sent Alvar Fanez forward to kiss the King's hand, and let him wit that he should be there that night.
So they rode towards Toledo.
The King said that it pleased him well, and he returned into Toledo.
And in the highest place he placed the royal chair in which the King should sit; it was a right noble chair and a rich, which he had won in Toledo, and which had belonged to the Kings thereof; and round about it right noble estrados were placed for the Counts and honourable men who were come to the Cortes.
This third I have assembled here in Toledo for the love of the Cid, that he may demand justice against the Infantes of Carrion for the wrongs which we all know.
Then the Cid kissed the King's hand and dispeeded himself, and the King embraced him and returned to Toledo.
And on the third day after the Cid departed from Toledo the King set forth for Carrion; but it so chanced that he fell sick upon the road, and could not arrive within the three weeks, so that the term was enlarged to five.
Greatly were they troubled at this reply, and greatly did they fear those good swords, and repent that they had taken them to the Cortes of Toledo.
And the King went to the place where the Infantes were arming, and said unto them, If ye feared these swords ye should have said so in the Cortes of Toledo, for that was the place, and not this;...there is now nothing to be done but to defend yourselves stoutly, as ye have need against those with whom ye have to do.
And the King said with a loud voice, Hear what I say, Infantes of Carrion!...this combat I would have had waged in Toledo, but ye said that ye were not ready to perform it there, and therefore I am come to this which is your native Place, and have brought the knights of the Cid with me.
While yet that messenger of the Soldan of Persia abode in Valencia, tidings came to the Cid that the Infantes of Aragon and Navarre were coming to celebrate their marriage with his daughters, according as it had been appointed at the Cortes of Toledo.
At this time King Don Alfonso abode in Toledo, and when the letters came unto him saying how the Cid Campeador was departed, and after what manner he had discomfited King Bucar, and how they brought him in this goodly manner upon his horse Bavieca, he set out from Toledo, taking long journies till he came to San Pedro de Cardena to do honour to the Cid at his funeral.
And he sent for the ivory chair which had been carried to the Cortes of Toledo, and gave order that it should be placed on the right of the altar of St. Peter; and he laid a cloth of gold upon it, and upon that placed a cushion covered with a right noble tartari, and he ordered a graven tabernacle to be made over the chair, richly wrought with azure and gold, having thereon the blazonry of the Kings of Castille and Leon, and the King of Navarre, and the Infante of Aragon, and of the Cid Ruydiez the Campeador.