Marzipan

Toledo’s culinary scene is likely most well-known for its marzipan! Marzipan is a dessert made with sugar or honey, egg whites and almond meal, and is used as the base for a dessert, as a filling, or as a stand-alone that can be shaped and colored to look like miniature fruits!. Many cities across Europe claim marzipan as a specialty, with Toledo among them. The legend of marzipan in Toledo dates back to the invasions of Spain by the Almohads (who were Berber Muslims from North Africa). Many people in the southern Castilian region took refuge in Toledo, where they faced famine due to an existing food scarcity and the large increase in the population. However, the Church there had large swaths of land that grew large reserves of almonds. The population thought to mix the almonds with the fruit and sugar they had, creating marzipan and alleviating their hunger.

Marzipan is so important to Toledo that there were three separate clauses dedicated to it by Toledo’s Confectioner’s Guild in the 1600s! Santo Tomé is one of the original manufacturers of marzipan in Toledo, still going strong since its establishment in 1856, and has kept records of the history of marzipan (all accessible on their website)!

You can get brunch (even if you’re gluten-free!), purchase boxes of marzipan carefully crafted to look like miniature fruit, learn more about the history of marzipan, read the marzipan clauses, and visit the largest marzipan Don Quixote in the world (measuring over 11 feet in height and weighing over 1,300 pounds) at the Santo Tomé confectionery.

Carcamusa

Carcamusa is a specialty of Toledo: it’s a pork stew with vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and peas, and the tomato-based sauce in it is typically made moderately spicy from the chorizo. It is usually served as a tapa with crusty bread. Though it is a popular dish, the origins of the stew are unclear: most sources attribute it to the restaurant Bar Ludeña in the mid-20^th century, but the name of the dish is still speculated about. Bar Ludeña is still a very popular place to eat, and with affordable prices, it’s a favorite for any visiting student—but be sure to show up early, because its popularity often means that the restaurant is jam-packed!

Manchego cheese

Manchego cheese is a delicious cheese made from sheep’s milk, aged from 60 days up to 2 years. It has a firm, buttery texture, with a developed, distinctive flavor and nutty undertones. The Manchego Cheese Museum in the heart of historic Toledo is dedicated to the history and production of Manchego cheese. There’s also a tasting room in the museum, where you can taste the best Manchego cheese varieties on offer, paired with the best wines of the Mancha region!

Where to eat?

Toledo is also home to many food markets, with Mercado de San Agustín one of the most well-known. The Mercado de San Agustín is a 23-stall multi-level market that offers a variety of cuisines, both local and foreign, from Manchego cheese salads to Japanese food. This market offers quality food, products, and even tastings, cooking classes, and guided tours of the marketplace—you can’t miss out, it’s a perfect place to grab a bite to eat between classes, sit down for a longer meal, or stock up for the week!

One of the premier restaurants in Toledo is the Restaurante Victor Sánchez-Beato, founded and operated by Chef Victor Sánchez-Beato after he returned, inspired, from a trip to Japan. The restaurant is so small that it can only fit 16 diners (by design), leading to a very personal dining experience that the chef describes as the diner being the “protagonist” of the experience. It is on the pricey side at 62 euros per person, so while it may not be possible to eat there every day, it is definitely worth going once for the experience!

The Beginning of Segovia:

Originally, Segovia was under Iberian settlement until about 700 BCE. The Roman empire took over Segovia in 80 BCE. The Moors had claim over Segovia until the Christian king, Alfonso IV restored order and took the ruling of Segovia back. Segovia was known as a very important place because during King Alfonso X’s reign, his home was based out of Segovia. He is not the only royal figure that lived in Segovia, Isabela I had also visited and lived briefly in Segovia during the beginning of her royal declaration. She was declared “Queen of Castile” in Segovia, which caused a lot of people to be fascinated and drawn to this place.

Another very fascinating part of the rich history of Segovia is the religions. When Segovia was being constantly overpowered by multiple cultures, it left a very important mark of three different religions living in the same town. Christians, Jewish people, and the Moors all had significant leaders playing roles in Segovia. One of the most important leaders, Tomas de Torquemada, had become so invested in the idea of the three different religions in Segovia. He took it upon himself to start creating conversation about what is known as the Spanish Inquisition today. 

One of the most prominent figures of Segovia is the Roman Emperor Trajan who was ruling during the building of the Segovia Aqueduct. Segovia today is now prominently known for it’s very impressive aqueduct because of the lack of agricultural advancement compared to today. The building of the aqueduct also marks the start of how significant the Romans would be during this time.

Architectural Structures of Segovia:

Trying to find a beautiful and historic town? Segovia is just the right place to find all kinds of significant and historical architectural buildings.

The most well known structure is the Segovian Aqueduct. Not only will you be able to see such a historically beautiful piece, but you may be able to try some of the spring water that it produces. Yes, it is still running after many centuries! There is a theory that a woman “sold her soul to the devil, so in return he would build the Aqueduct since she was struggling to do it herself.” Though it is nearly unrealistic for this to be true, it becomes well known that the Romans had such advanced agricultural tools and knowledge for building structures.

The Aqueduct is made of roughly 24,000 granite blocks without the use of mortar. If you don’t believe this fact, more of a reason to find out for yourself and take a visit to Segovia!

Another significant place that you should stop by is the Alcázar de Segovia! Experiencing the in-person visualization of the “fortified castle for the Kings of Castile,” is something unforgettable. This castle is very significant because of the many royal crownings for the Kings of Castle. Also, the first ever woman, Isabella, to be crowned Queen of Castile had the ceremony (1474) in this Alcázar.

Sadly, making a trip to this Alcázar will not be the exact architecture of the original due to an 1862 fire that burnt majority of the building down. To this day, no one knows exactly how the fire started, but if you ask around when on your trip, you might find out more details.

Something that you may find unique is the very emphasized division in Segovia. The two areas are referred to as the “upper town and lower town.”

The upper town is surrounded by a historically ancient wall that is parallel with two rivers: The Eresma and the Clamores. It is believed that the upper town is considered “new,” so why not compare and see how the architecture has changed over the years! The lower town, “old,” contains the 16th Century Gothic Church in the center with pathways that lead to the outskirts of the city.

Sources:

“List of Cities and Towns in Spain.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-cities-and-towns-in-Spain-2041711.​ Accessed 18 April 2025.

“Segovia, World Heritage.” Turismo de Segovia, Ayuntamiento de Segovia, https://turismodesegovia.com/en/segovia-world-heritage. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

The Plaza de Bib-Rambla is a square in the city of Granada that has seen the city’s significant historical transformations. The term “Bib-Rambla” is an Arabic one, meaning “Gate to the Sand” or “Gate of the River,” as the plaza previously functioned as the gateway to the city in the period of Muslim control (particularly in the Nasrid period). Nowadays, the plaza is the closest thing Granada has to a Castilian main square and boasts cafés, souvenir shops, florists, and bookstores for students to bring a commemorative item back home! It is also located close to the Granada Cathedral and the Alhambra, so any tourists can easily walk to multiple incredible sites in a single day! The Plaza de Bib-Rambla has been noted as a common meeting place for both tourists and Granadans alike, so it would be in one’s best interest to become familiar with one of the most significant Granadan locales. Another reason to visit the Plaza de Bib-Rambla would be to immerse oneself into the history of a city that has experienced Spain’s most formative and influential historical trends.

1. El Fuente de los Gigatones: The Contribution of an Absentee Monarch

One of the Plaza de Bib-Rambla’s most notable features is the Fuente de los Gigatones (depicted below), or the “Fountain of Giants,” a beautiful fountain in the center of the plaza depicting the Gods of Rome and topped with a statue of Neptune.

The fountain was erected in the mid-17th century during the rule Charles V, a Holy Roman Emperor. It was originally placed in a different location, but was moved multiple times until it ended up in the plaza. Charles V was considered an “absent” monarch because he was not frequently present in Spain as a result of his gigantic empire and poorly received first impression. In the beginning of his rule (1517-1556), Charles V visited Spain for the first time and stole money from churches in Aragon, did not speak Spanish, and left a foreign regent in his place upon departure. Negtaive sentiments toward the new monarch never truly dissipated despite his best efforts, and the conjunction with the geopolitical landscape of Europe led Charles V into abdication. He spent the rest of his days in our lovely city of Granada, located within walking distance of Plaza de Bib-Rambla.

2. From Bazaar to Bonfire: The Plaza Bib-Rambla in the Age of Christianization

The Plaza de Bib-Rambla was comprised of bazaars, medieval jousts, and bullfights when Spain was under Muslim rule (711-1492). The city of Granada was the last city to see the Christian reconquest and thus, its capture in 1492 punctuated the end of the Reconquista. Historians have opined that Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, a royal official, used the Plaza de Bib-Rambla to burn 80,000 Arabic texts from the city’s first University (Madrasah of Granada). He falsely claimed them to be copies of the Qur’an. The Plaza was significantly expanded to best suit large-scale celebrations such as Corpus Christi (see below), which any tourist can attend in late May/June.

The Christianization of the Plaza de Bib-Rambla paralleled another event in Spain that occurred after the Reconquista: The Spanish Inquisition. The inquisition was established with the authorization of Pope Sixtus IV in 1478 and aimed to find and punish “Conversos,” or those that converted from Judaism to Christianity, who still secretly practiced Judaism. In reality, however, the inquisition targeted, punished, and even tortured ordinary conversos who did not secretly uphold their former religion. The Plaza de Bib-Rambla witnessed the executions of many of these converts in the days of the Inquisition.

3. Defining Spanish Identity: The Franco Period

Though significant for its Muslim and Christian history, the Plaza de Bib-Rambla also experienced more contemporary historical events too. During the Franco regime (1936-1975), missions were sent out in attempts to return to and reinforce Spanish identity through Catholicism following the divergent political ideologies that led to the Civil War (1936-1939). According to Historians, the Holy Mission in Granada occurred in October of 1949 and transformed the Plaza de Bib-Rambla with loudspeakers and Christian paraphernalia that extended the seemingly constant religious lectures of the Missionaries. Attendance at these gatherings numbered in the tens of thousands, highlighting the fact that Granada was consumed by religion in these years.

For more information on the Bib-Rambla and Granada as a whole, see the bibliography and/or the further reading page.

Bibliography

Barceló Hotel Group. “Plaza de Bib-Rambla: a mirror of Granada’s age-old history.” Barceló Experiences 2024. https://www.barcelo.com/guia-turismo/en/spain/granada/things-to-do/plaza-bib-rambla/.

Dixon, Arthur. “Granada, Spain.” World Literature Today 89, no. 1 (Jan./Feb. 2015): 5. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7588/worllitetoda.89.1.0005.

Hernández, Javier. “Fountain of the Giants.” Granada por el Mundo. 2023. https://granadaporelmundo.com/fuente-de-los-gigantones/.

Romero, Cobo Francisco, Migeul Ángel Del Arco Blanco, and Teresa Maria Ortega Lopez. “The Stability and Consolidation of the Francoist Regime. The Case of Eastern Andalusia, 1936-1950.” Contemporary European History 20, no. 1 (Feb. 2011): 37-59. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41238342.

Rutter, Ian. “Corpus Christi in Granada.” Two South of Granada: A Travel and Lifestyle Blog from Andalucia. 2017. https://www.twosouthofgranada.com/home/2017/6/19/corpus-christi-in-granada.

The Alhambra, built between 1238 and 1358 at the behest of Muhammad I, founder of the Nasrid Dynasty, stands on an plateau overlooking the City of Granada. Originally designed as a military zone it was later served as the royal residence for the royal family of Granada.

The fortress’s name Alhambra has origins in Arabic, meaning “red castle or vermilion”

During the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries the fortress was made of 2 main areas; The Alcazaba, the Military area, and the Medina or Palatine city, which housed the Nasrid palaces and houses of nobles and other common folk.

When the city fell into Catholic hands in 1492 much of the interior was damaged or removed, after Charles I (Charles V) took the throne in 1516 he had portions of the fort rebuilt however he also had parts destroyed to make way for an Italianate Palace. In 1812 during the Peninsular War the French blew up several towers, in 1821 an Earthquake further destroyed portions of the fortress. In 1828 a major repair job was undertaken by José Contreras an endeavor that was later endowed by King Ferdinand VII in 1830. After the death of Contreras in 1847, his son Rafael took up the mantle of restoration until his death in 1890 where in his son Mariano Contreras Granja continued his families work.