We’re staying in a clerical prison

This week we are staying in a fully furnished two bedroom apartment in Toledo, Spain.

The Cárcel del Vicario in Toledo (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) is a building steeped in history, with architectural roots tracing back to an ancient Islamic house from the 9th–12th centuries.

Over time, it evolved into a prison used by the Archdiocese of Toledo, specifically for detaining clergy, and remained in use as such until the late 19th century. Clergy were detained in the Cárcel del Vicario primarily for disciplinary or legal infractions within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction. During the Middle Ages and early modern period, the Church had its own legal system and courts, separate from civil authorities. Clerics who violated canon law—such as those accused of moral misconduct, heresy, insubordination, or involvement in civil disputes—could be imprisoned by Church authorities rather than secular ones.

The current structure dates primarily from the year 1900, though parts of the building are as old as the 1500s. The site is notable not only for its role as a jail but also for its possible connection to the composition of the "Libro de Buen Amor" aka The Book of Good Love by the Archpriest of Hita, who may have written parts of the work while imprisoned there in 1343.

The building has been carefully restored and now serves as a boutique apartmenthotel, retaining many original architectural features such as Mudéjar wood ceilings, horseshoe arches from the Islamic period, and elements that evoke its past as a prison, like built-in cabinets reminiscent of old cells.

€860.00 pet week.Read more