Showing posts with label Toledo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toledo. Show all posts

Toledo—the City of Three Cultures

Yesterday I posted an article on a Spanish label entitled “Spinning Destiny” by Ana Locking.

Today I would like to introduce you to the world of the label’s founder and designer, Ana González, who was born in Toledo, Spain.

The first time I ever travelled to Spain was in 2004, at which time I visited Madrid and the surrounding cities of the nation’s capital with my father.

We spent a day in Toledo—capital of the autonomous region Castile-La Mancha—which is about 70 km from Madrid.

Toledo dates back to ancient times. The Romans called the fortified city Toletum (192BC-570AD), which passed to the Visigoths (570-711) as the capital of Spain and, then, on to the Moors (711-1085).

During the Moorish rule, Christians and Muslims coexisted, while a Jewish population sprouted into a flourishing community. In 1085, however, Toledo was conquered by King Alfonso IV, becoming part of the King of Castille.

Hence, Toledo has been the birthplace or home to many famous people and artists, including Spanish Renaissance artist El Greco and world-renown astronomer Al-Zarqali.

In 1986, Toledo was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site for its cultural significance and heritage, as well as a location in which Moorish, Christian, and Jewish cultures coexisted for centuries.



Photo & slideshow Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.

Francesco's Travels: Table of Contents

Balkans/Eastern Europe
BulgariaSurviving in Sofia: Part 1
Basically Bulgarian: Part 2
The Turkish Touch: Part 3
One for the Ladies!
The Cultural Heritage of Petar Petrov
Greece apaptform—Where Greece Meets Japan
Macedonia Marjan Pejoski & Kokon To Zai
RomaniaGypsies, Vampires, and Rozalb de Mura
SerbiaThe Dominant Strength of Serbia's Dejan Despotović
SloveniaSENS, Feeling the Touch of Slovenian Class!
TurkeyTurkish Anyone?
Mediterranean Isles & Coasts
Intro The Mediterranean Isles of Italy
Western Europe
BelgiumMoutonCollet: Sometimes Silence is Silver
Veronique Branquinho & the Antwerp Six...or Seven?
PortugalSalsa Jeans Adds Some Spice to Bread & Butter Berlin
SpainToledo—the City of Three Cultures
Italy
IschiaIschia: Roots on a Rim
MacerataElia Maurizi & "Who Is On Next"
NaplesIschia: Roots on a Rim
PompeiiFrom the Ashes of Pompeii
San Marino San Marino: Still Paving the Way
SardiniaWelcome to Cagliari
When in Sardinia, Eat as the Sardinians...and with them!
Nora: from Phoenicia to Carthage and onto Rome
The Nuraghic People, "Su Nuraxi" & UNESCO
Sardinian Nuraghis Rock!
Tharros: Nuraghic Foundation
Tharros: from Phoenicia to Carthage & onto Rome
Bauladu—Country Living in Sardinia
Oristano: Its Musuem & Festivals
Alghero—Sardina’s Little Catalonia
Antonio Marras—the Designer from Alghero

Sulcis—the Why to it All
The Nuraghic “People of Bronze” Come Back to Life
Russia
Former USSR My Romance with the Color Red
Cracks in the Berlin Wall
Shifting Gears: from China to Eastern Europe
Calm, Cool, and...Calamity?
Munching in Moscow
Siberia Hayam Hanukaev Sets Russian Fashion Week Free
North America
PhiladelphiaMatthew Izzo Presents Wrath Arcane at 1st Friday
Philadelphia Fashion Week—a “First” Definitely Not to Be Missed!
China
BeijingHappy Chinese New Year!
Designer Chi Zhang's Northern Capital of Fashion
My SojournMenswear—Not Just Fashion: Focus on China
A Culture Vulture at Heart
Trained by Trains

"Trained" Foriegn Experts
First Impressions
Social Divide
Chomping around China
When in Rome....
Workers—Another Kind of Army
Guizhou Minorities in the 80's
Miao People—All about Fashion
Zhuang Fashion
Yao Men, Yao Women—the Differences Pervade Them All
The Song of the Dong
Yi Fashion
Southeast Asia
Thailand

Bangkok, Menswear & Darwin's Beagle