Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes

San Juan de los Reyes is a Franciscan monastery from the 16th and 17th centuries, its church is under the patronage of Evangelist John.

Worth a visit, beautiful monastery garden

The Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes was built by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, within the Jewish quarter of Toledo. Many travelers are surprised to discover more than two hundred chains and shackles hanging from the facade of the church of the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes. Tradition holds that the chains hanging on the exterior walls of the church belonged to Christians held captive by the Arabs in the territories reconquered by the Catholic Monarchs. They were brought and hung here. The exterior wall of the church, displaying the shackles and chains of the captives freed during the time of the Catholic Monarchs, bears witness to the triumph of Christianity over Islam. It is likely that there are far fewer chains today than there may have been since the 15th century. These are the shackles of Christian captives rescued in the battles of Málaga and Almería (1485-1486), which they themselves took it upon themselves to bring to Toledo as relics or votive offerings in gratitude to God and to their Queen Isabella I of Castile, who ordered them to be hung on the walls.The reason these chains are displayed on the walls of San Juan de los Reyes is not only to highlight the monarchs' efforts in freeing the prisoners; it also has its own legend: The monastery of San Juan de los Reyes is located within the Jewish quarter, and it is said that there was a famous Jewish blacksmith who made iron chains in large quantities, and that every night orders for chains would leave his workshop for unknown destinations. When the Christian prisoners were freed, their chains bore the mark of the Toledo Jew, so it was deemed appropriate that these shackles should return to their city of origin.