Pressbiterio y coro en la Catedral de Toledo. En busca de unas circunstancias

Traditionally, the location of the choir-stalls in the middle of the nave was considered a characteristic of the Cathedrals of the Iberian Medieval Kingdoms. The canons choir was segregated from the presbytery but communicated with it by the “via sacra”. The real problem about this determinist way of understanding a liturgical topography was its when and its why. In fact, the location of the choir-stalls in the cathedral nave did not appear until the 14th century, taking into account the anomalous location of the early 13th century choir-stalls of Compostela, that must be interpreted as an infrequent and occasional solution due to particular reasons. In fact, the so-called “Spanish way” for the choir stalls location in the middle of the cathedral nave begun at Toledo as a clear and brilliant answer to specific liturgical necessities: to provide the manifestation and adoration of the Holy Host once its consecration, after the 12th and 13th century theological argumentations on the matter.