Iglesia del Salvador
Iglesia del Salvador
4
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
4:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
213 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
110
Average
49
Poor
6
Terrible
2
Seeking True Quality
Europe3,130 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
We found this church almost by accident! We had some time till the departure of our bus and we wanted to see once again the famous painting by El Greco... We were very close but in the maze of narrow medieval streets, we failed to locate the San Tome church...
Instead, we found something even better: this church with an incredible history! We could see the excavated remains of not one but three former churches built one over another in the very same spot. An Ummayad mosque was built here in the IX. century on the remains of a former Visigothic church. In the XI. century, that mosque was expanded into a Taifa mosque. The current Christian church was built over that mosque in the XII. century. The orientation of the church is still southeast in the direction of Mecca. The Visigothic horseshoe arches, pilasters and their capitals are also preserved in the nave.
After seeing the archaeological remains, we were also able to climb to the top of the bell tower, the former minaret of the mosque.
One very important person was baptised here: It was Princess Joanna of Castile, the daughter of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, the future wife of the Habsburg prince Philip the Handsome and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V! She was called Joanna the Mad (Juana la Loca) but not because she was travelling throughout Spain with the coffin of his dead husband after his early death. That nickname was a tragic outcome of the power struggle between his father and his husband when she became Queen of Castille after the death of her mother! Both her father and her husband declared her mad...
Instead, we found something even better: this church with an incredible history! We could see the excavated remains of not one but three former churches built one over another in the very same spot. An Ummayad mosque was built here in the IX. century on the remains of a former Visigothic church. In the XI. century, that mosque was expanded into a Taifa mosque. The current Christian church was built over that mosque in the XII. century. The orientation of the church is still southeast in the direction of Mecca. The Visigothic horseshoe arches, pilasters and their capitals are also preserved in the nave.
After seeing the archaeological remains, we were also able to climb to the top of the bell tower, the former minaret of the mosque.
One very important person was baptised here: It was Princess Joanna of Castile, the daughter of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, the future wife of the Habsburg prince Philip the Handsome and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V! She was called Joanna the Mad (Juana la Loca) but not because she was travelling throughout Spain with the coffin of his dead husband after his early death. That nickname was a tragic outcome of the power struggle between his father and his husband when she became Queen of Castille after the death of her mother! Both her father and her husband declared her mad...
Written 27 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jeff1955malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia5,260 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
The Iglesia de El Salvador in Toledo, Spain was completed in 1159. Despite small, it has a remarkable structure due to its historical significance. The church is the result of four successive constructions, each built on top of the previous one.Â
Written 20 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ANGELO V
Milan, Italy2,893 contributions
Jun 2023 • Solo
The place where the church of "El Salvador" (The Saviour) stands has a long history: it was a Visigothic religious building that was transformed into a Umayyad mosque in the 9th century, and was enlarged during the 11th-century into a Taifa mosque. During the 12th-century the current church was built, and a fire during the 15th century forced a restoration.
The church still has traces of its history visible: one Visigothic pilaster, horseshoe arches from the mosque, the minaret transformed into a bell tower.
The main altar has a beautiful altarpiece, and it is possible to climb the tower for a nice panorama of the rooftops of Toledo (about 50 steps of a very narrow and steep stair). A small archeological area can be visited on the side of the church.
This church is part of the "Pulsera de Toledo" circuit: a small red wristband bought in any of the seven monuments provides free access to the other six, too. The monuments in the circuit are the church of Santo Tomé, the Synagogue of St. Mary the White, the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, the Mezquita of Cristo e la Luz, the church of the Jesuits, the church of El Salvador and the Real Colegio de Doncellas Nobles.
The church still has traces of its history visible: one Visigothic pilaster, horseshoe arches from the mosque, the minaret transformed into a bell tower.
The main altar has a beautiful altarpiece, and it is possible to climb the tower for a nice panorama of the rooftops of Toledo (about 50 steps of a very narrow and steep stair). A small archeological area can be visited on the side of the church.
This church is part of the "Pulsera de Toledo" circuit: a small red wristband bought in any of the seven monuments provides free access to the other six, too. The monuments in the circuit are the church of Santo Tomé, the Synagogue of St. Mary the White, the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, the Mezquita of Cristo e la Luz, the church of the Jesuits, the church of El Salvador and the Real Colegio de Doncellas Nobles.
Written 20 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jef-grr
Grand Rapids, MI423 contributions
Oct 2022
A small church just a few steps away from the Cathedral. It is part of the "bracelet" group of 8-9 religious sites that can be visited for €12. It's a small simple church, but the interesting part is the wall of columns from Muslim/Visigothic times, including the original of a carved column of New Testament scenes from Visigothic times. There are also some excavations behind the church to be viewed thought not a lot of information (and none in English). You can also climb the tower, though the view is limited. Definitely worth a brief visit alongside the other sites on the bracelet group. I'd recommend a visit to the Visigothic Museum as well to better understand the context.
Written 28 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leonardo_1964
Milano1,011 contributions
Aug 2022
The Iglesia del Salvador has been our last visit of the 7 sites tour included in the forfait. It is beautiful as well like the numerous monuments of Toledo.
Written 28 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Malgorzata
12,113 contributions
Jun 2021
It's an amazing place. It is a simple temple, but very beautiful. A small church with an amazing column from the Visigothic period. The church was built on the site of a Muslim mosque. Various architectural styles were used during the construction. The minaret was replaced with a belfry and the temple was rebuilt according to the Christian model. It is worth going down to the archaeological remains of the original mosque on which this church was built and go up the tower. A little gem of Toledo.
Written 21 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelleygirl2
Sarasota, FL6,483 contributions
Oct 2019
We passed the Mezquita-Iglesia de El Salvador, a twelfth century church built on an eleventh century Taifa mosque that turned into a Visigothic building. The current church is still oriented south-east in the direction of Mecca. From here our guided pointed to the Church of San Miguel, a Mudejar church founded by the Knights Templar, closer to the Tajo River.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TrueTexasTraveler
Amarillo, TX1,059 contributions
Mar 2019
This is off the beaten path a little bit and there were very few people there when we visited. It's definitely worth stopping because you see how three different faiths used one building. First used by the Visigoths, there is an old column that is exposed with the Visigoth stone carvings depicting scenes from the Bible. Then you can walk underneath the building and see the remains of the mosque that stood on the sight when the Muslims took it over from the Visigoths. You can walk up the church's bell tower that once served as the mosque's minaret. Finally, you can see the intimate changes made by the Catholics once they took it over from the Muslims.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martina B
Munich, Germany593 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
A simple church thqt was a mosque before, some archeological remains are still there but really nothing impressive at all. You can as well skip it!
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Toni
Munich, Germany658 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
It is a simple church, absolutely nothing special and a few very badly preserved ruins. Not worth the 3€ entrance fee.
They offer you a 10€ package with which you can visit some other 7 locations without paying extra but none of those is a main must-see attraction, so I would advise against.
They offer you a 10€ package with which you can visit some other 7 locations without paying extra but none of those is a main must-see attraction, so I would advise against.
Written 30 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Iglesia del Salvador
- Hotels near Iglesia del Salvador:
- (0.05 km) Apartamento Juderia
- (0.17 km) Hotel Pintor El Greco
- (0.09 km) Hostal Santo Tome
- (0.13 km) Eugenia de Montijo, Autograph Collection
- (0.20 km) Hotel Santa Isabel
- Restaurants near Iglesia del Salvador:
- (0.02 km) Almacen 51
- (0.03 km) Cafe Del Fin
- (0.03 km) El Cafe de Las Monjas
- (0.06 km) Santo Tomé
- (0.15 km) Tulaytula Cafe&Restaurant