Friday, February 6, 2009

Zocodovér

The famous Moorish plaza of Toledo, Spain has a magical name: Zocodovér:
You tumble upon the three-cornered impossible, delicious Zocodovér—who is to analyze the fascination of this strange word? It means, I believe, in Arabian, Place of the Beasts. Here fairs, markets, meetings, autos-da-fé, revolutions, conspiracies, everything that could take place in picturesque times, were held. (Esther Singleton, A Guide to Great Cities for Young Travelers and Others, 1911)

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