The church of Santa-Cruz and the beginnings of Mudejar architecture in Toledo

This article examines the architecture and the fresco program of the small brick church of Santa Cruz in Toledo, built sometime after 1186 when the si te was granted to the Order of the Hospital of St. John by the city's archb ishop. The building comprises an apse added to a square mosque dated to the year 1000. Recognizing the seamless integration of Islamic and Christian c onstruction, the article proposes that the date of the addition and its pai nting is best situated toward the end of the second quarter of the thirteen th century rather than in the later twelfth century. Based upon the style o f the paintings, comparison with a firmly dated manuscript, and reconsidera tion of documentary sources previously used to establish the chronology of Santa Cruz and other post-conquest churches in Toledo, the redating questio ns a longstanding tradition of scholarship. In addition, the article propos es to situate the unique style of building, known as Mudejar, derived from the term used to designate Muslims living in the areas in Spain conquered b y Christians, within the context of the changing social, political, militar y, and religious relations between Christians and Muslims in Toledo. In thi s context receptivity to Islamic forms in Christian art and architecture co incided with significant Castilian territorial gains and political aspirati ons in the wake of the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.