Cave of Hercules

The legend about this place dates back to ancient times, when it was believed that the mythical hero Hercules had created a hidden cave filled with untold treasures. However, it was not an unprotected place: stories tell that supernatural forces and terrible curses awaited anyone who dared to enter.

Perhaps that's why the Gothic kings, who held their court in Toledo, had the custom of adding a padlock during their reign. All of them, except Don Rodrigo. He, remembered as the last Gothic king, decided to break the locks and enter the cave to discover if the wonders told about it were real.

According to legend, King Solomon's table, the Ark of the Covenant, and even the Holy Grail were found there. He found a chest containing a scroll. As he unrolled it, he noticed something that caught his attention: a series of figures drawn inside. They were not wearing helmets, but turbans; They didn't wear chain mail, but tunics, and the most curious thing was the shape of the sword they carried: a crescent-shaped sword.

In other words, it was a prophecy of the Muslim invasion of Spain and their own death at the Battle of Guadalete, which ended the Visigothic kingdom and began Muslim rule. Since the Middle Ages, stories have given the legend an even more mysterious air, linking the cave with occult knowledge and secret doctrines.

Thus, in the 16th century, Cardinal Silíceo, Archbishop of Toledo, ordered a reconnaissance mission to the Caves of Hercules in 1546. The explorers entered the subsoil of what was then the Church of San Ginés (St Genesius) with torches; but upon emerging, they appeared haggard, telling stories so terrible that Silíceo decided to seal the strange cave, leaving it walled up for centuries.

Leaving aside all these legends, what we actually find here is a structure of three ashlar arches that are the remains of an ancient vaulted Roman cistern for water supply, one of many that existed in the city. One of these parts is what we see today. The others remained underground in the surrounding houses.

An ancient Visigothic church once stood here. In fact, the façade of the site is filled with numerous recycled Visigothic remains. Later, a Moorish mosque was built, which later, around the 12th century, became the Church of St Genesius, of which we can see a part of the sacristy inside.

It was abandoned and closed to the public during the 18th century, finally being demolished in 1841. The ancient Roman cistern remained hidden under private ownership until it was restored and rehabilitated by the Toledo Municipal Consortium in 2010 for its current tourist use.