Santo Tomé and The Burial of the Count of Orgaz

The church of Santo Tomé, with its Mudéjar brick tower, holds El Greco's masterpiece, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. It can be seen in half an hour and is one of Toledo's essential stops, in the Plaza del Conde, in the heart of the Jewish quarter.

The painting and the church

The parish was founded after Alfonso VI's conquest of Toledo in 1085, and the first documented mention is from 1142. Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo, chief notary of Castile and lord of Orgaz, helped rebuild the church, left annual revenues in his will and asked to be buried here. According to tradition, at his burial, in 1327, Saint Augustine and Saint Stephen came down from heaven to lay his body in the tomb. That is what El Greco painted more than two and a half centuries later, between 1586 and 1588, in an oil painting of 4.80 by 3.60 metres: below, the miracle and the Toledo gentlemen; above, the open heavens. Toledo Monumental points out details to look for, such as the reflections in the dead man's armour or a figure who seems to look at the viewer.

The church dates from the early 14th century, remodelled in Mudéjar style. The tower, square in plan, is of brick and banded rubble; the Gothic main chapel was added in the 16th century and the naves were remodelled in the 17th. The painting is seen in a room of its own, next to the remains of the lord of Orgaz.

Hours and tickets

Open every day. From 16 October to 28 February, 10:00 to 17:45; from 1 March to 15 October, 10:00 to 18:45. The ticket office closes ten minutes earlier. It closes on 25 December and 1 January, and on 24 and 31 December it is open until 13:00. Visits are adapted to worship times.

General admission costs €4; ages 11 to 16, students and youth card, €3; large families, €2.50. Small children go in free. It is included in the €14 tourist wristband, valid for seven days for seven monuments: if you are also going to see San Juan de los Reyes and Santa María la Blanca, it pays off. Toledo Tourism lists audio guides in six languages and activities for children, although the Toledo Monumental website says there is no audio guide for this visit; ask at the ticket desk. Phone: 925 256 098.

Tips for the visit

Go first thing or at the end of the afternoon: mid-morning a queue forms with groups, because the room is small and you go in by turns. If you want to understand the painting, give it the minutes you will not spend on the rest of the church: it is a one-work visit.

From Santo Tomé the Tránsito Synagogue is two minutes away, and Santa María la Blanca and San Juan de los Reyes a little further down, towards the San Martín bridge. If you visit Toledo on a Sunday, do this part in the morning, when the cathedral is not yet open to cultural visits. For the wristband and maps, call at the Municipal Tourist Office, opposite the cathedral.