The Way of the Holy Grail to Valencia
Follow the journey of the cup of the Last Supper. From Jerusalem to Rome and hidden in Aragon, this universal relic found its home in the Cathedral of Valencia after centuries of history and mystery.
From Jerusalem to Rome
The cup used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper was brought from Jerusalem to Rome by Saint Peter and used from then on by him and the successive popes of the Church in Rome during the Eucharistic celebrations until the year 258, when Pope Sixtus II entrusted his deacon Saint Lawrence to remove the grail from Rome to protect it from the persecution of Emperor Valerian.
Its passage through Aragon
Saint Lawrence delivered the relic to Huesca, where his parents lived. The grail ended up hidden in the monastery of San Juan de la Peña, and in 1399 it was handed over by the monks of the monastery to King Martin I of Aragon, of whom three letters requesting the relic insistently have been preserved. Once in his hands, Martin I took the Grail to the chapel of his residence in Zaragoza, the Palace of the Aljafería.
The transfer to Valencia
Another king, Alfonso the Magnanimous, transferred in 1424 the Holy Grail to the Royal Palace of Valencia, his residence at the time. However, the conquest of the Kingdom of Naples required costly military campaigns for which he needed loans, one of them contracted with the ecclesiastical hierarchy. The king guaranteed it with all his relics, including the Holy Grail, which he had to hand over in 1437 as part of a financial agreement with the Church.
Veneration in the Cathedral of Valencia
It was preserved and venerated for centuries among the relics of the Cathedral, and until the 18th century it was used to hold the consecrated host in the “monument” of Holy Thursday, until it was finally installed in the old Chapter Hall, set up as the Chapel of the Holy Grail in 1916.
The traces of the Holy Grail in Valencia
We invite you on a tour of places connected to the Holy Grail to delve deeper into its history tied to the city.
1. Royal Gardens
There stood the Royal Palace, residence of King Alfonso the Magnanimous, who kept the Holy Grail when he first brought it to Valencia.
2. Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia
There you can admire three works depicting the Holy Grail of the Cathedral: two examples of Salvador Eucarístico by Joan de Joanes from the 16th century, and The Last Supper by another Valencian painter, Joan Ribalta.
3. Royal Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity
Founded by the wife of Alfonso the Magnanimous, Queen Maria of Castile, who is buried there, making it the only Royal Pantheon in Valencian lands.
4. Church of El Patriarca
Observe the relief scenes on the façade dedicated to the Holy Grail and admire Francisco Ribalta’s The Last Supper on the high altar. Take the opportunity to see paintings by Caravaggio, El Greco, and Benlliure displayed in its museum.
5. Church of Saint Martin Bishop and Saint Anthony Abbot
Featuring a fresco by José Vergara dedicated to the Last Supper, where you can see a depiction of the Holy Grail from the Cathedral of Valencia.
6. Corpus Museum
It houses the triumphal floats that participate in the Corpus Christi celebration, popularly known as “rocas.” One of them is dedicated to the Holy Grail and made its debut in the procession in 2001.
7.Silk Exchange
In this spectacular Gothic building, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, the Holy Grail was displayed after being hidden during the Spanish Civil War.
8. House of Sabina Suey
At number 7 Avellanas Street, the Holy Grail was hidden for a few days during the Spanish Civil War to protect it from desecration of the Cathedral during the conflict.
9. Statue of Archbishop Marcelino Olaechea
For his role in promoting the scientific analysis of the grail through a rigorous and detailed study, comparable to that carried out on the Shroud of Turin, which confirmed the archaeological authenticity of the relic (Archbishopric Square).
10. Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken
Since 2014, it has housed a replica of the Holy Grail on the altar table of the so-called “Coveta,” a small chapel dominated by a statue of Christ on the cross. The replica contains a relic of the blood of Saint John Paul II.
11. Valencia Cathedral
Start at the Cathedral Museum to see Juan de Juanes’ The Last Supper and admire other relics of the Crown of Aragon, such as the Little Shirt of the Infant Jesus, the sponge, and the Lignum Crucis in Room IX. And of course, conclude your visit in the Chapel of the Holy Grail.
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