Toledo

Toledo (UK: tol-AY-doh; Spanish: [toˈleðo] ) is a city and municipality of Spain, the capital of the province of Toledo and the de jure seat of the government and parliament of the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. Toledo is primarily located on the right (north) bank of the Tagus in central Iberia, nestled in a bend of the river. Built on a previous Carpetanian settlement, Toledo developed into an important Roman city of Hispania, later becoming the capital (civitas regia) of the Visigothic Kingdom and seat of a powerful archdiocese. Often unsubmissive to Umayyad central rule during the Islamic period, Toledo (طليطلة) nonetheless acquired a status as a major cultural centre (promoting productive cultural exchanges between the Ummah and the Latin Christendom), which still retained after the collapse of the caliphate and the creation of the Taifa of Toledo in the early 11th century. Following the Christian conquest in 1085, Toledo continued to enjoy an important status within the Crown of Castile, open to the Muslim and Jewish influences. In the early modern period, the economy stayed afloat for a while after the loss of political power to Madrid thanks to the silk industry, but Toledo entered a true decline in the 1630s, in the context of overall economic recession. In the 21st century, population growth in the municipality has largely concentrated in the Santa María de Benquerencia (aka Polígono) district, a modern residential area detached from the historic centre located upstream on the left (south) bank of the Tagus. The city has a Gothic Cathedral, and a long history in the production of bladed weapons, which are now common souvenirs of the city. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage. As of January 2024, the municipality had a population of 86,526. The municipality has an area of 232.1 km2 (89.6 sq mi).