A remarkable medieval discovery hidden beneath a private home in Toledo has shed new light on the city’s storied past.
The find, uncovered during renovation work at Bajada del Pozo Amargo in Toledo’s historic Canónigos quarter, consists of 35 polychrome wooden panels dating to the 13th and 14th centuries.
The private home is located near the Cathedral of Toledo and was undergoing restoration under archaeological supervision when workers discovered that the panels had been reused as structural flooring.
Regional officials announced the discovery during the opening of the exhibition “What the City Hides: Images of the Medieval Court of Toledo,” now on view at the National Archaeological Museum.
Dating from the reigns of Alfonso X, Sancho IV, and Fernando IV, the panels depict scenes of wisdom, courtly life, and warfare. Representations of philosophers, nobles, monarchs, knights, and scholars are among the figures depicted, thereby contributing to understanding the intellectual and political culture of the city of Toledo in the medieval period.
The pieces are now in the collection at the Santa Cruz Museum in Toledo and have been preserved and analysed as part of the city’s efforts to incorporate new archaeological discoveries into public cultural programming.
The exhibition coincides with local educational and scientific activities that aim to place the panels in the context of the city’s medieval past.
The finding comes on the heels of an intense investment by the Government of Castilla-La Mancha to preserve and maintain Toledo’s cultural landscape, including archaeological digs, the restoration of historic buildings and artworks, improvements to museums, and the purchase of materials and local objects of historical value.
Sources : EL DEBATE
