Roman general Marcus Fulvius Nobilior fought a battle near the city in 193 BCE against a confederation of Celtic tribes, defeating them and capturing a king called Hilermus.

[9] At approximately this time, a Roman circus, city walls, public baths, and a municipal water supply and storage system were constructed in Toletum.

A fragmentary stone inscription records circus games paid for by a citizen of unknown name to celebrate his achieving the sevirate, a kind of priesthood conferring high status.

[10] Games were held in the circus late into the 4th and early 5th centuries, an indication of active city life and ongoing patronage by wealthy elites.

[17][18] When internal divisions developed under the Visigothic nobles, Tariq bin Ziyad captured Toledo in 711 or 712[19] on behalf of the Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus as part of the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Tariq's superior, Governor Musa, disembarked in Cádiz and proceeded to Toledo, where he executed the Visigothic nobles, destroying much of the existing power structure.

[38] The taifa, however, fell into political disarray, owing to the economic draining caused by the parias (tributes) imposed by the Kingdom of León as well as territorial mutilations, and so a revolt erupted in 1079, which was followed by the Aftasid ruler of Badajoz taking control of the city.

Around that time, the city's demographics featured a heterogeneous composition, with Mozarabs, Muslims, and Jews, to which incoming Christians from northern Iberia and Frankish elements were added.

[44] During the persecution of the Jews in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, members of the local Jewish community produced texts on their long history in Toledo.

[citation needed] After the crushing of the Revolt of the Comuneros, Charles V's court was installed in Toledo, with the monarch choosing the city as his residence at least 15 times from 1525 on.

The archbishops of Toledo remained powerful brokers in the political and religious affairs of Spain for the rest of the Ancien Régime,[46] also owning large amounts of seigneurial land across most of the southern half of the Inner Plateau and some nearby territories.

[59] Following the July 1936 coup d'etat in Spain, the acting military commander in Toledo, José Moscardó, refused to provide weapons to Madrid and hid instead in the Alcázar with a garrison of about 1,000 rebels, food, ammunition and some hostages.

[63] In October 1940, Heinrich Himmler, leading Nazi and Chief of German Police, visited Spain on the invitation extended by Director General of Security José Finat y Escrivá de Romaní.

The main purpose of the visit was to inspect the Spanish security forces, discuss Spanish-German police cooperation, and prepare for the planned meeting at Hendaye between Franco and Hitler.

[citation needed] In the late 17th and early 18th century, production began to decline, prompting the creation of the Royal Arms Factory in 1761 by order of King Charles III.

[citation needed] According to other statistics from the same source, almost half the unemployed in the city of Toledo (1,970 persons) are among those whose education does not go beyond the compulsory secondary level.

The old city is located on a mountaintop with a 150-degree view, surrounded on three sides by a bend in the Tagus River, and contains many historical sites, including the Alcázar, the cathedral (the primate church of Spain), and the Zocodover, a central market place.

Throughout the seventh century, Jews were flogged, executed, had their property confiscated, were subjected to ruinous taxes, forbidden to trade, and, at times, dragged to the baptismal font.

As nearly one hundred early canons of Toledo found a place in the Decretum Gratiani, they exerted an important influence on the development of ecclesiastical law.

It is remarkable for its incorporation of light and features a Baroque altar called El Transparente, several storeys high, with fantastic figures of stucco, paintings, bronze castings, and several colors of marble, a masterpiece of medieval mixed media by Narciso Tomé.

Toledo was home to El Greco for the latter part of his life, and is the subject of some of his most famous paintings, including The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, exhibited in the Church of Santo Tomé.

Two of the city's most famous food products are Manchego cheese and marzipan, which has a Protected Geographical Indication (mazapán de Toledo).

[citation needed] Holy Week, which has been declared of National Tourist Interest, is marked in spring with various processions (including several on Good Friday) and religious and cultural events.

[citation needed] The Virgen del Sagrario is celebrated on 15 August, featuring a procession inside the Cathedral and drinking water of the Virgin from jars.

Sights include: To mark the fourth centenary of the publication of the first part of Don Quixote, the Council of Communities of Castilla–La Mancha designed a series of routes through the region crossing various points cited in the novel.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Toledo was one of the first Spanish cities to receive rail service, with the arrival of the Madrid – Aranjuez line, which was inaugurated by Isabella II on June 12, 1858.

The line suffered some technical issues and service disruptions but continued to serve as the main intercity route until the early twenty-first century.

The city also has several private health centers, including Hospital de las Tres Culturas and Clínica Nuestra Señora del Rosario.

[citation needed] Much of this problem was resolved when the Central School of Physical Education of the Army moved its headquarters to the premises of the Infantry Academy.

[citation needed] This club is based in the Santa María de Benquerencia district and has one of the largest youth systems in Castilla–La Mancha.