Toledo, cruce de destinos explained

Genre:Historical drama
Creator:Emilio Díez
Screenplay:Emilio Díez
Alberto Úcar
Composer:Álex Conrado
Country:Spain
Language:Spanish
Network:Antena 3
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:13

Toledo, cruce de destinos, or simply Toledo, is a Spanish historical drama television series, set in 13th-century Toledo. It aired on Antena 3 in 2012.

Premise

The fiction follows the intrigues in the court of Alfonso X the Wise in late 13th-century Toledo as well as it attempts to depict the historical postulate about the so-called "Convivencia of the Three Cultures".[1]

Production and release

Toledo, cruce de destinos was created by Emilio Díez.[2] The screenplay was authored by Díez together with Alberto Úcar. Álex Conrado composed the musical score.[3] Most of the series was shot in Pedraza, the Castle of Guadamur and the Antena 3 sets in Madrid, whereas the only real shots in the city of Toledo consisted of the outdoor shots of the Puente de Alcántara.[4] Produced by Boomerang TV for Antena 3, the first episode premiered on 10 January 2012. The broadcasting run ended on 3 April 2012. While the average viewer figures for the season (13.5% audience share) ended up being slightly above the channel's average, the series was not renovated for a second season.

Critical reception

The historical depiction of Toledo was bashed by historians,[5] while former mayor of Toledo wrote in a column he felt "embarrassed" after watching a few episodes. In addition, critics also pointed out the "gratuitous" switch of the characters of Sancho and Fernando, when Fernando was the heir-apparent instead of the younger infante, as well as the condition of bastard of Sancho, and other historical anachronisms (loose hair instead of hair up for most women, the horizontal companionship between an heir apparent and his servants, errors in the representation of medieval women, Jews not abiding to kosher, soldiers "in uniform" or anachronical swords, to name a few).

Notes and References

  1. Lucía. Salvado Esteban. 155. Historia y ficción televisiva. La representación del pasado en Isabel. Index.comunicación: Revista científica en el ámbito de la Comunicación Aplicada. 2174-1859. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. 6. 2. 2016.
  2. Web site: Toledo. 28 February 2021. Serialistas.
  3. El documental como fuente para el estudio del medievo: Toledo, cruce de destinos. Scriptorium. Florencia Belén. Hidalgo. Ana Clara. Testard. Universidad Católica Argentina. 1853-760X. 2. 3. 2012. 8.
  4. Web site: Alquilo mi pueblo. El Comercio. 13 May 2012. Nere. Cejudo.
  5. Web site: Toledo, cruce de ¿desatinos?. La Tribuna de Toledo. 15 April 2012. A. de. Mingo.