Legend of Cristo de las cuchilladas

The legend of the Cristo de las Cuchilladas

The Toledo audio-guided tour tells you, before the Church of Saints Justus and Pastor, one of the most famous cloak-and-dagger legends of the city.

A cloak-and-dagger story

We are in 1467, and in Toledo, a city that forges the best blades in the world, two families are tearing each other apart: the Silva and the Ayala. Doña Isabel Silva loves Don Diego Ayala, to the great displeasure of their relatives. One evening, as he prepares to secretly join his beloved, Don Diego passes by the Plaza de San Justo and, as a good Christian, stops to pray at the church. He then hears cries: his sweetheart is being abducted by armed men, sent by his own family. Sword in hand, he rushes to her rescue. This legend, linked to the Church of Saints Justus and Pastor, illustrates the romantic imagination of Toledo and its link with the art of the blade.

What there is to see

The legend of the Cristo de las Cuchilladas, attached to the Plaza de San Justo and its church, plunges the visitor into the romantic Toledo of rival families and sword duels. It is a charming stop, which recalls the secular reputation of the city for its blades and nourishes the imagination along the walk in the historic centre.

Practical information

The Plaza de San Justo and the Church of Saints Justus and Pastor, linked to this legend, are in the old town of Toledo. The square can be walked freely on foot at all hours; the church can be visited with respect for the services, according to its opening hours.

What does the legend of the Cristo de las Cuchilladas tell?

The story of a thwarted love between Isabel Silva and Diego Ayala, in 1467, against a backdrop of rival families and sword duels.

To what monument is the legend linked?

To the Church of Saints Justus and Pastor, on the Plaza de San Justo, in the old town of Toledo.