The Quest for the Holy Grail

On my first day in Valencia I decided to stroll freely around town in hopes of discovering new experiences. The Saint Mary of Valencia Cathedral was the first sight to catch my eye. The exterior of the cathedral is mostly Gothic architecture with Gothic sculptures of faces that align the cathedral. The faces are supposed to resemble ‘couples’ found in the city. As I walked around the cathedral I came across Classical architecture of columns that reminded me of the Roman Coliseum. As I continued to make my way around the cathedral, there was an octagonal tower called La Miguelete that overlooks the blue domes that surround the cathedral and the city of Valencia. The 207 steps that it takes to climb tower was well worth the spectacular views. I even got to see the direction of the City of Arts and Sciences as well as the beaches compared to where I was staying.

As I walked to the entrance of the cathedral, I noticed the Baroque architecture that resembles the wealth of its members. Valencians definitely spend more of their savings on this cathedrals than any church I have been to in the United States. Outside the entrance of the cathedral was a group of young girls around the age of eight who appeared to just finish their first communion. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched them interact with their families and pose for pictures. They all looked so cute in their white, sleeved dresses with up-dos and a little blush for color. I immediately had a flashback of my first communion and I began to notice settle differences their first communion and mine even though we share the same religion. The girls had a more dress code and they all had to wear sleeves. To be honest, I was a little jealous of them. I couldn’t fathom having my first communion in a cathedral as grandiose as Saint Mary’s. I also noticed that the girls hanged around after the service for pictures and praise by their family members. After my first communion, my family took a picture or two and then we went home. I felt as though this moment for these girls was more precious and sacred to them as it was for me. I also think the differences are a result of their culture. Their culture concentrates more on the history and traditions than the American culture does.

As I walked past these girls into the cathedral, I realized I was stepping foot into space that is still used today for its original function and not as a tourist attraction like every other cathedral I have visited in Europe. Everyone in that church, with the exception of myself, was their for religious service. The cathedral is absolutely breath-taking inside and puts most cathedrals to shame. The interior was predominantly Gothic and contained numerous religious and artistic treasures such as the two Goya paintings in the San Francesco (main) chapel. The priest was still finishing up a sermon near the alter so I decided to veer to the right of the cathedral. That is when I discovered the Holy Chalice that many historians all over the world believe is the most likely candidate for being the authentic cup used at the Last Supper. That’s right; I was looking at the Holy Grail. I couldn’t believe my eyes. First I touched the vial of Jesus in Bruges and now I get to see the Holy Grail. Europe is like the Mecca for Catholics. The chalice dates back to the 1^st century and was given to the cathedral by King Alfons el Magnànim in 1436. The last pope to use the chalice was Pope Benedict XVI on July 9, 2006.

Follow this link for more information on the cathedral. Map is included:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/valencia-cathedral