Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes

In front of you stands one of the most impressive monuments in Toledo: the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, built in the heart of the old Jewish quarter. Its construction began in 1477 by order of Queen Isabella the Catholic, to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Toro, which occurred a year earlier. And the place chosen to raise it is not a minor detail. Building a large Christian monastery in the middle of the Jewish quarter was a clear sign that things were changing for the Jews of Toledo. There were barely fifteen years left until, in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs decreed the expulsion of the Jews from their kingdoms. The church was dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, of whom Isabel was especially devoted, and also had another purpose: to become the pantheon of the royal dynasty. Isabel and Ferdinand planned to be buried here. But history changed their plans. After the conquest of Granada in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs chose that city as the place for their final rest. Today their tombs are in the Royal Chapel of Granada. When you contemplate San Juan de los Reyes, remember where you are: in the heart of the old Jewish quarter of Toledo. Its construction is also testimony to a world that was about to change forever.

Open in the map