The Holy Grail in Valencia

The cathedral in Valencia has a cup which it claims is that used by Jesus Christ during the Last Supper. This artifact was supposedly taken by Saint Peter to Rome in the 1st century, and then to Spain by Saint Lawrence during the 3rd century. Such claims are not rare; indeed, there is a chalice in Genoa for which the same claim is made. What is interesting about the cup in Valencia, is that it definitely has a long history that extends back almost 2000 years. Archaeologists say the artifact is in fact a 1st century Middle-Eastern stone vessel, possibly from Antioch or Palestine. Its known history can be traced to the 11th century, and it currently rests atop an ornately jeweled stem and base, which was made during the Medieval era. But whether it is the actual cup used at the Last Supper is of course, impossible to verify. Nonetheless, the cathedral in Valencia keeps the chalice in a small vault hidden behind thick wooden doors. The viewing hours for the relic had passed when I came through the church, but an image of the artifact taken from the internet can be seen above.

Clinton Riddle

Palau de les Artes in Valencia, Spain

Designed by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, and just recently completed (with landscaping work ongoing), the Palau de les Artes is the fourth and final part of the spectacular La Ciudad de Las Artes y Las Ciencias complex that lies just southeast of the city center of Valencia. The world's second-largest opera house, after the Sydney Opera House, the Palau de les Artes contains four separate halls - the Main Hall, the Master Room, the Chamber Theatre, and the Amphitheatre.

It is hard to imagine the scale of this building without seeing it in person. It stands over 75 meters in height, and is covered with millions of tiny, irregularly-shaped tiles which give the building a glossy appearance in bright sunlight. In addition, the long, leaf-shaped sunshade that extends over the length of the entire structure at no point touches the building, and is only anchored to the ground at one point, thus giving it the appearance of defying gravity.

Clinton Riddle