Patios of Toledo

The patio in Toledo forms part of the cultural heritage of ancient civilizations, such as the Roman and Arab ones. However, the traditional patio in Toledo has its main precedent in the Arab culture, where the houses and palaces were structured around this space.

Almost all buildings and monuments in the old part of Toledo have a patio full of plants, ceramics and fountains, among other decorative elements, that can be visited, especially during the Corpus Christi festivities, when many of them dress up for the occasion.

During the days near the celebration of Corpus Christi, Toledo celebrates its gran week. Among its many activities, perhaps the most significant one is the decoration of the streets with hundreds of flower arrangements, tents and carpets. It also opens to the public about 50 private patios that are marvelously decorated
The “patio” is not something characteristic of the city of Toledo, it is a legacy of the civilizations that have left its print in the city, Muslims, Romans…an “open” house inside the walls.

Today, the majority of the patios have a fountain, well or cistern and a great quantity of plats, which creates a temperature there that has nothing to do with the one outside in the city.