Narciso Tomé's "Transparente" in the Cathedral of Toledo (1721-1732)

Abstract

IN the afternoon of 9 June 1732 D. Diego de Astorga y Cespedes, Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, solemnly exposed the Blessed Sacrament in the inner shrine of the new and magnificent Transparente of the cathedral of Toledo (Figs. I and 2). From that date on, this extraordinary structure, unique in character within the framework of Spanish architecture of the period, became the object of the most diverse evaluations, ranging from exorbitant praise to fierce personal detestation. Our purpose in taking a closer look at this much discussed but never fully studied work is twofold: first, it is to provide a more com-