Church of Santo Tome (St. Thomas)

Plaza del Conde, 4

Tel. 925-256-098

Web: www.santotome.org

Hours:

March to Mid-October: 10 am to 6:45 pm.

Mid-October to February: 10 am to 5:45 pm.

The Church of Santo Tome was built in the 12th century and completely rebuilt in the 14th century by Don Gonzalo Ruiz, the Lord of Orgaz, one of the most prominent citizens of Toledo. He died in 1312 and left money for charity and for the enlargement and funding of the church. The church is known for its beautiful Mudejar tower and the large format painting by El Greco of the Burial of Count Orgaz.

The Count of Orgaz was buried on March 18, 1586 in the new chapel and a painting depicting this gentleman was commissioned. El Greco was a parishioner of the church and he was chosen as the painter. El Greco completed the painting in 1586. This painting of the Burial of Count Orgaz is famous for the lifelike portraits of the important men of Toledo of that time.

In the painting the count is being buried with the assistance of St. Augustine and St. Stephen. They came to thank him for the money he gave to their charities. El Greco painted his self portrait in the painting and he is the third from the left, looking at the viewer from above the head of Saint Stephen. Andres Nuñez was the parish priest who managed to give El Greco the commission, and he is the figure on the extreme right. El Greco painted his son Jorge Manuel as the young page on the front left. The painting is famous for all the wonderful portraits of men of that time, using costumes of that time, and not of the time of Count Orgaz.

The faces of the men depicted in the painting are faces that are very Spanish, and that one can see in the streets of Spain today if one looks hard enough. Because of the mix of races, the Spanish have a distinctive look that is different from every other European country.