Thanks for the clarification: the article was confusing (perhaps because of the translation). The views certainly are impressive. I'm glad Jonas Kaufmann was able to take time off from his busy performing schedule to do some sightseeing -- in particular, tour the historic sites associated with some of the operatic roles he has starred in.

And it was good that the tourist guide educated him on history -- specifically, to point out the factual errors in Friedrich Schiller's play, the basis of Giuseppe Verdi's opera. It seems that the only true fact is that Isabelle de Valois was indeed originally betrothed to the king's son.

However, it's not true that there was a romantic Phaedra-type relationship between Carlos and his stepmother. And she actually was happy in her marriage to his father. Although many years her senior, he was not (say) three times her age or old enough to be her grandfather. The aria "Ella giammai m'amo", where Felipe II mentions his bride wincing after seeing his white hair, is simply inaccurate: he was at the time only 32 -- an age when most men don't have white hairs.

And the Marquis de Posa is a fictional character, while that of Princess Eboli is blown out of proportion. Are you familiar with the play or the opera? What other historical errors can you point out?