Councils of Toledo facts for kids

Reccared I and bishops at the Third Council of Toledo in 589.

From the 5th to the 7th century AD, many important meetings were held in Toledo, Spain. These meetings were called councils or synods. They were like big gatherings of church leaders and kings. About thirty of these councils took place.

The first one was in 400 AD. It dealt with a religious group called Priscillianism. A very important meeting was the "third" council in 589. During this council, King Reccared changed his religion. He switched from Arianism (a different Christian belief) to Chalcedonian Christianity, which was the main Christian belief at the time. This was a huge event for the kingdom.

The "fourth" council in 633 was also very important. It was probably led by a famous scholar named Isidore of Seville. This council set many rules for the church. It also made sure that everyone in the kingdom used the same church services and prayers. The region of Britonia in Galicia also agreed to use the standard Latin church services.

Later, the "twelfth" council in 681 made the archbishop of Toledo the most important church leader in all of Hispania (which is now the Iberian Peninsula). Many of the rules made at these early Toledo councils became part of church law across Europe.

The 7th century is sometimes called the Siglo de Concilios by Spanish historians. This means "Century of Councils." This shows how important these meetings were during that time.

Later councils were held in Toledo too. In 1565 and 1566, a council worked on putting into practice the decisions from another big church meeting called the Council of Trent. The very last council in Toledo was in 1582 and 1583. King Philip II was so involved in this council that the pope even ordered his name to be removed from the official records.

Councils Held in Toledo

Museum of the Councils

In Toledo, there is a museum where you can learn more about these councils and the culture of the Visigoths. The Visigoths were a Germanic people who ruled Spain during that time. The museum is called the Museum of the Councils and Visigothic Culture. It is located in the old Church of San Román.

See also

In Spanish: Concilios de Toledo para niños