For the first time in Estonia: the works of El Greco, the brightest star of Spanish art, and the treasures of Toledo Cathedral have reached the Niguliste Museum

Opening in the Niguliste Museum on 22 November, the exhibition Dives Toletana: Treasures of Toledo Cathedral from Medieval to El Greco presents masterpieces from the 10th to the 17th century. For the first time, works by one of Spain’s most remarkable artists, a Greek-born painter El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) (1541–1614), will be shown in Estonia. The curators of the exhibition are Merike Kurisoo and Carlos Alonso Pérez-Fajardo.

Toledo Cathedral is opening its extraordinary treasure chamber, inviting us to join a journey of more than a thousand years, from the Visigoths to the Spanish Golden Age. The walls of the church preserve layers of living heritage: the spiritual depth of the Visigoths, the refined geometry of Islamic art, the brilliant heights of Gothic architecture, and the humanist renewal of the Renaissance.

Each work at the exhibition reveals a different layer of Toledo’s past, from the Liber Misticus, a Mozarabic liturgical book from the 10th century to rare monumental textiles and liturgical objects from the 13th to 17th centuries, including works created during the reign of the Catholic monarchs Isabella I and Ferdinand II.

The exhibition also features four masterpieces by the world-renowned artist El Greco (1541–1614), which rank among the pinnacles of European artistic heritage and highlight Toledo’s central role in the history of art. El Greco transformed Toledo into a symbol of light and spirit, a place where heaven and earth meet. The exhibition displays paintings by El Greco and his workshop: St Augustine (ca. 1585–1602), St Francis (ca. 1585–1602), St Ildefonso (ca. 1608–1613), and St Francis of Assisi and Brother Leo (ca. 1600). In addition, the exhibition presents St Diego of Alcalá (San Diego de Alcalá) (1646) by another great Spanish painter of the 17th century, José de Ribera (1591–1652).

The curator Carlos Alonso Pérez-Fajardo states, “An exhibition on Dives Toletana is much more than an exhibition about the cathedral of a Spanish city. Its historical weight condenses the development of a country and a culture. Among its treasures are testimonies of some of the most important moments of the different kingdoms of the Iberian peninsula, from Visigothic Hispania to Spain in the Golden Age. One thousand years of works of art promoted by the main cardinals, princes and monarchs from the history of the country and created by some of the greatest artists of Western culture. They are living elements, objects of devotion that still proclaim faith through the liturgy. This is an artistic heritage that embodies a millennium of immaterial legacy.”

The curator Merike Kurisoo points to the connection between the two cities. “Toledo and Tallinn are connected through the late-medieval painter Michel Sittow (1469–1525), born in Tallinn. His earliest known works were created in the Luna Chapel of Toledo Cathedral, and his final works – the paintings on the wings of the Passion altarpiece – are preserved here in Niguliste. Sittow began his artistic journey in the most important Spanish church before serving at the court of the Catholic monarchs. In 2025, we are commemorating the 500th anniversary of his death.”

“For the first time in Estonia, the extraordinary story of Toledo Cathedral will unfold for the viewers: over a thousand years of artistic and cultural heritage. The exhibition was born through excellent collaboration with Toledo Cathedral, one of Spain’s most important religious and cultural institutions, as well as with other partners in Toledo, including the Museum of Santa Cruz and the Church of St Nicholas of Bari. What makes the exhibition truly special is that the Estonian public will be able to see El Greco’s masterpieces for the first time in Estonia. Equally remarkable is the arrival in Estonia of such high-level and monumental historical textiles,” says the exhibition curator and director of the Niguliste Museum, Merike Kurisoo.

Toledo, the ancient capital of kingdoms, is home to the Primate Cathedral of Spain: Catedral Primada. The archdiocese’s roots reach back to the earliest dawn of Christianity. The city itself has long been a place of encounter and cultural exchange: for centuries, Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities lived side by side, weaving one of Europe’s richest cultural tapestries. Toledo Cathedral is an embodiment of intertwined history and the meeting point of faith and power: a place where different religions, cultures and eras have left their marks. For over fifteen centuries, the ancient Mozarabic liturgy has resounded under the cathedral’s vaults, uniting history and sacred and earthly riches into a single whole: Dives Toletana.

The exhibition is accompanied by a diverse public programme introducing Spanish culture, art and history, as well as an educational programme for upper school levels. The opening programme will take place on 22 and 23 November.

The exhibition Dives Toletana. Treasures of Toledo Cathedral from the Middle Ages to El Greco is open until 29 March 2026.

Curators: Merike Kurisoo and Carlos Alonso Pérez-Fajardo
Exhibition design: Kaarel Eelma
Graphic design: Tuuli Aule
Exhibition coordinator: Annika Teras
Registrar: Helen Volber
Installation managers: Andres Amos, Tõnis Medri and Villu Plink
Intermediary of the Spanish Institutions: Carlos Alonso Pérez-Fajardo

Supported by the Embassy of Spain
Public programme in cooperation with Hispaania Maja