The main entrance to the Church is accessed from Reyes Catolicos street.
It is formed by an arch which depicts a rich cross of calvary along with the figures of the Virgin Mary
and St. John the Evangelist. This cross is known as the cross of the pelican, whose nest can be seen on the cross itself.
According to tradition, the pelican is depicted with an open beak giving blood to its chicks, the traditional Christian symbol
for Christ as having redeemed the world and given us life through the spilling of His blood.
The room through which the cloisters and stairs are accessed used to be the sacristy.
The lower cloisters, with twenty four gothic vaulted ceilings and distinct ‘mudejar’ influence,
open out into the garden through five large windows with centre partitions and which boast profuse decorative
tracery on the intrados The arches which have stylised gothic form, rest on pillars which show off relief carvings of flora
and fauna, both real and imaginary, as well as the image of a saint on a corbel situated under an elegant capital.
The upper cloisters, which were completed in 1526, are accessed via a staircase designed by A. de Covarrubias,
who also designed the new Puerta de Bisagra (the main city gate), and the imperial staircase in the Alcazar.
The windows are conpial arch with stone ballustrades and are decorated with the recurring leitmotif of this monastery
– the Yoke and Arrows. The ceiling is covered by highly crafted larch wood, painted with the motifs and coats of arms
of the Catholic Monarchs – the initials F and Y (Fernando and Isabel).
Walking downstairs, we can access the intrerior of the church via a door whose tympanum is decorated with a painted
stone relief of the Veronica accompanied by floral relief typical of the florid gothic gothic style of the time.
The ground floor area of the church is in the form of the latin cross, with short arms, an elongated nave,
with side chapels situated between the domed arches – three chapels on either side of the nave,
and two more under the choir. The nave measures approximately 50 metres in length, and 30 metres in height,
giving off an air of spaciousness and fullness which is further enhanced by the abundant light inundating the nave
from 10 windows. The choir is elevated over a dropped arch and is decorated with spectacular perforated cresting.
The vualted ceiling over the choir is cruciform, in the shape of a four pointed star.
A splendid and imposing dome is situated over the transpet. It is lifted spaciously on four large tromps.
The arms of the transept are decorated grandiosely, with eagles situated in a lobed arch holding up the coats of arms
of the Cathoic Monarchs. The columns depict images of Fransiscan saints, under an exquisite limestone canopy decorated
with crests and bands of floral images. A description referring to the church’s foundation can be seen over the door panel.
The windows at one time had glass but only two have been conserved with the original glass - they are located
in the presbytery.
The two tribunes straddling the nave have a limestone ballustrade beautifully crafted in the manner of a silversmith.
They carry the initials of the Catholic Monarchs as well as the symbols of the Yoke and Arrows which,
since Alexander the Great and the gordian knot, have been used to extol the virtues of the reign of the Catholic Monarchs,
specifically referring to the political and religious unity of the kingdoms of Spain.
A few steps lead us onto the sanctuary and high altar. The current reredos is a magnificent work of art by Francisco
Coomontes and is dedicated to the exultation of the cross – as is the custom in good Toledan painting.
The central images are Saint Francis - a sculpted figure by Pedro de Mena - the Virgin with Child, Saint John the Evangelist,
and Calvary.
Other sculptures can be found in the side chapels, such as the statues of Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Francis,
carvings dating to the XVll century, the Christ oif the Good Death (El Cristo de la Buena Muerte) – by M. Guerrero Corrales.
In the chapel of the Holy Sacrament we can see an oval painting depicting the scene at Calvary with Saint John
and the Virgin. This painting is from the Toledan school, possibly painted by the hand of a studentg of Luis Tristan
who in turn was a student of El Greco. In another of the chapels we can see the anonymous painting of the Vestiture
of the Chasuble of Saint Ildefonso, the chasuble being conferred to Saint Ildefonso from heaven by the Virgin Mary.
In the chapel closest to the entrance to the cloisters we can see two polichromed and gilted reliefs – the vision of Apocalypse,
and the relief of Saint John the Baptist, both of which are probably from the studio of Juan Bautista Maino.
The church of San Juan de los Reyes was reopened for worship by the Fransican fraternity on the 15th of August 1967.
It had been previously consecrated by the auxilliary Bishop of Toledo, D. Anastasio Granados.
Since 1978-1979, San Juan de los Reyes has been a fully functioning parish church.
The hermitage, Santa Maria de la Cabeza, is closely linked to San Juan de los Reyes since in times passed,
the hermitage was in fact the parish church for those living outside the Toledo city walls, including the area of the cigarrales.
Indeed, the community living outside the city walls counts on four additional hermitages: la Virgen del Valle,
La Virgen de la Bastida, San Jeronimo and Santo Angel – this last hermitage is situated on private property
and has very limited access. The Fransiscan fraternity, especially on the part of the Parish Priest and his deputy,
carries out the task of caring for the parish community which although is not numerous does increase due to the large
numbers of requests from non parishioners to celebrate their weddings and baptisms in San Juan de los Reyes.
In November 2004, the Fransiscan community of friars at San Juan de los Reyes celebrated 50 years since their return
to the monastery, having spent 120 years of absence due to well chronicled historical difficulties which saw not only
the expulsion of the friars but also the destruction of the monastery and its dependant buildings.
The Fransiscan community has carried out a formative task based on patient dedication in the service of the Fransiscan
Order of the Province of Saint Gregory of Castilla, in the service of Church in the diocese of Toledo, and in its support
and help to the feminine Fransiscan communities present in Toledo.
The work continues – for this reason we ask the Lord for vocations so that more may persevere in this endeavour
and continue to serve the people of God.
Go to the
Galeria section to view the artsitic and architectural richness of this stunning church.
