This short travel film depicts the key sights of Toledo in Spain, including the city gates, the Alcázar, and a section showing some of the city’s famous sword-makers at work. Title – Toledo Title – Greatest and most ancient of the Castilian cities Title – Produced by J. Eric Hall An intricate mosaic wall depicts the gates of the city surrounded by men on horseback. A woman looks out over an expansive landscape, some of it cultivated with rows of small trees. In the town, people and cars...

This short travel film depicts the key sights of Toledo in Spain, including the city gates, the Alcázar, and a section showing some of the city’s famous sword-makers at work. Title – Toledo Title – Greatest and most ancient of the Castilian cities Title – Produced by J. Eric Hall An intricate mosaic wall depicts the gates of the city surrounded by men on horseback. A woman looks out over an expansive landscape, some of it cultivated with rows of small trees. In the town, people and cars pass along sunny streets. The buildings have metalwork balconies and shop awnings at street level. The town is seen from a high vantage point, across the River Tagus, with the gothic cathedral prominently visible. A gatehouse, probably the Puerta de Bisagra Nueva (New Bisagra Gate), is seen from outside as a man whizzes past on a moped. A plaque with the dates 1547-1947 reads “Toledo – Peñascosca pesadumbre Gloria de España y luz de sus ciudades – Cervantes” The Puerta de Bisagra Nueva gate is seen again, this time from the inside, with its pyramid shaped gilt rooftops. A woman arranges a melon stall, with piles of large green and yellow melons for sale and a scale for weighing them, although the commentary notes that they were so cheap that this seemed rather superfluous. At a blacksmiths, hand-drawn plans for metalwork decorations lie on a workbench, next to the finished item. Two men work the bellows and hammer a red-hot piece of metal. A historical illustration shows El Cid, the national hero of Castile. Inside a workshop at the Garrido sword works, craftsmen are at work. The commentary notes that all types of swords are made here, from dress swords worn by the diplomatic corps to those carried by matadors. Two men shape and file lengths of metal held in vices, whiles a third polishes a gold-coloured handle. An older man hand paints a type of acid varnish onto the blades to create low reliefs, which are then painted with colour enamel. Further craftsmen are seen producing damascene work, using delicate tools to add details in gold leaf. The finished swords are mounted on a wall for display. The film closes with an outside view of the Alcázar palace, and a statue of a woman raising a sword with both arms, which is a memorial to victims of the siege of the Alcázar during the Spanish Civil War. Title –The End