H ouse and Garden 
CHAPEL OF THE SANTA CRUZ HOSPITAL 
Spanish (lOthic work is all imitative, the only dis¬ 
tinct Spanish feature about the churches being in 
the plan. The church is designed primarily for the 
clergy, and they occupy not only the portion east of 
the intersection, but a large space extending into the 
nave of the church called the choir, or coro. This 
is separated from the body of the building by most 
elaborate wrought iron screens. The hacks of the 
choir seats, stalls and altars, are thus presented to 
the view of the congregation, and are most elabo¬ 
rately carved and decorated. The people gather 
during the services around these magnificent grilles, 
through which they view the service. In the elabora¬ 
tion of the choir enclosure Spanish architects are 
seen at their best; nearly all are worthy of study. 
In the Cathedral is the chapel where the Muzar- 
abic ritual has been performed daily since the great 
Cardinal Ximenes, then Archbishop of Toledo, 
authorized its performance in the sixteenth century. 
I'he chapel itself is impressive by reason of its vivid 
historical frescoes, where Ximenes is depicted lead¬ 
ing the Spaniards against the Moors. 
We also visited the church of San Juan de los 
Reyes, which is a picturesijue group of buildings 
on the city wall overlooking the Tagus. Hanging 
on the outside walls of the church are the iron chains 
that were taken off Christian prisoners who 
were liberated when Granada was finally 
won from the Moors. For over four cen¬ 
turies have they thus rusted in the Spanish air. 
The cloister of the church is fine in its detail. 
Another monument worthy of our respect 
is Santa Maria Blanco, once a Jewish syna¬ 
gogue, changed by the Moors to a mosque, 
later used by the Christians as a church. 
One enters first a neglected garden, passes 
on to a dilapidated building, and, on entering, 
beholds a vision of the East. A series of 
Moorish arches supported on columns, it is 
one of the few specimens of the pure 
Moorish type that have been preserved. 
Everywhere are seen the interesting re¬ 
mains of the old churches; here a bell tower, 
there a building now used as a stable, but 
plainly meant for heavenly visitants instead. 
Among the most interesting secular build¬ 
ings we visited was the Alcazar, which is a 
large Renaissance building, now occupied 
by a cadet school. It was rebuilt on the 
old foundations of the Alcazar, or fortified 
palace where the great Cid, the first Christian 
alcalde of Toledo, set up his banner and 
ruled over the city in 1085 A. D. It has 
a rather interesting stone staircase. 
But the most notable building of this class, 
and one worth going many miles to see, is 
the old Hospital de Santa Cruz, although not now 
used. The magnificent carving and sculpture on 
the entrance doorway, the sturdy stone cornice 
of the front, the brick-buttressed apse of the 
chapel and the vaulting at the intersection of 
the large halls, together with the several cloisters 
around which the different buildings are grouped, 
serve to show a knowledge of building of which 
any nation might be proud. The doorway de¬ 
serves special study because of the manner in which 
the detail is massed. The details themselves bear 
close inspection, being well executed, strongly accen¬ 
tuated and giving an effective disposition of light and 
shade. The facade with its elaborate entrance, its 
less elaborate upper windows, its simple yet strongly 
treated battlements set above a plain wall surface, 
forms an extremely agreeable architectural compo¬ 
sition and one which is thoroughly Spanish. 
There is also worthy of mention the patio in the 
Hospital de San Juan de Afeura, a doorway to the 
palace of Pedro the Cruel and the interiors in the 
Casa de Mesa. 
But the days flew all too swiftly by, and one night 
we lay awake listening for the last time to the night 
watchman, or sereno, with his deep, musical call. 
Las oace y sereno. 
