Museo del Greco
In the early 20th century, the Marquis de Vega-Inclán, a wealthy patron of the arts, bought this old house in Toledo’s Jewish quarter under the misapprehension that it had once belonged to El Greco. The museum he founded, to promote the painter’s work and show how life was led in his era, started a trend for a type of art-cum-folk museum you’ll see all over Spain. Although largely bogus, the museum is a treat, with period furniture and ceramics, Mudéjar cave rooms and ancient patios, and a good collection of El Greco’s later works. Among the most notable pieces are a full set of portraits of the apostles (postcards of which are available in the shop), the Retablo de San Bernardino altarpiece, and the celebrated View and Plan of Toledo. Painted in 1608, it is strikingly similar to the view of the city you’ll see today. In the foreground, outside the city walls, you can clearly see the Hospital de Tavera, which was being built at the time.
In the early 20th century, the Marquis de Vega-Inclán, a wealthy patron of the arts, bought this old house in Toledo’s Jewish quarter under the misapprehension that it had once belonged to El Greco. The museum he founded, to promote the painter’s work and show how life was led in his era, started a trend for a type of art-cum-folk museum you’ll see all over Spain. Although largely bogus, the museum is a treat, with period furniture and ceramics, Mudéjar cave rooms and ancient patios, and a good collection of El Greco’s later works. Among the most notable pieces are a full set of portraits of the apostles (postcards of which are available in the shop), the Retablo de San Bernardino altarpiece, and the celebrated View and Plan of Toledo. Painted in 1608, it is strikingly similar to the view of the city you’ll see today. In the foreground, outside the city walls, you can clearly see the Hospital de Tavera, which was being built at the time.
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