Holy Chalice (Holy Grail)

The Valencia Chalice in its chapel in Valencia Cathedral

About the Holy Chalice

The Holy Chalice, often called the Holy Grail, is a sacred vessel some believe Jesus used at the Last Supper to share His blood with the Apostles. The Bible’s Gospels—Matthew (26:27-29), Mark (14:23-25), Luke (22:20), and Paul in 1 Corinthians (11:25)—tell how Jesus took a cup of wine, gave thanks, and said it was the covenant in His blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins. This moment, shared with His disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem, became the foundation of the Eucharist, a holy act celebrated in churches worldwide. Known as a simple cup in early faith, it grew into a treasured symbol of Jesus, our Savior, who gave His life for us. Over centuries, places like Valencia, Spain, claim to hold it, inviting the faithful to honor His love and mercy.

Its Appearance

The Valencia Holy Chalice, kept in the Cathedral of Valencia, is a dark red agate cup, about 3.5 inches wide (9 centimeters) and 7 inches tall (17 centimeters) with its base. Crafted between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD in a Levantine or Egyptian workshop, it sits on a knobbed stem with two curved handles, added later, and rests on an inverted chalcedony base with Arabic-style inscriptions from medieval times. The Genoa Dish, or Sacro Catino, in Genoa Cathedral, is a hexagonal green glass bowl, 9 centimeters high and 33 centimeters across, made in the 9th-10th century as Islamic art. The Antioch Chalice, now in New York’s Metropolitan Museum, is a 6th-century silver-gilt double-cup, with vine scrolls and figures in gold over a plain silver core. The Nanteos Cup, a wooden mazer bowl from Wales, is small and worn, once thought to be from the True Cross. The Chalice of Doña Urraca in León, Spain, is ornate but less described. Each, in its own way, reflects the hope of being Jesus’ cup, humble yet holy.

Its Journey

The Holy Chalice’s story begins around 33 AD at the Last Supper in Jerusalem. By 258, tradition says Saint Peter brought it to Rome, and during Emperor Valerian’s persecution, Pope Sixtus II handed it to Saint Lawrence. Lawrence gave it to a Spanish soldier, Proselius, to take to Huesca, Spain, for safety. In 530, the Breviary of Jerusalem notes a chalice at the Holy Sepulchre, and in 570, pilgrim Antoninus of Piacenza saw an onyx cup in a Basilica near Golgotha, believed to be Jesus’. By 670, Arculf, another pilgrim, mentioned a chalice near Jerusalem. In 1101, Crusaders took the Genoa Dish from Caesarea to Genoa, where it was called the Grail by the 1290s in Jacobus de Voragine’s Chronicon. The Valencia Chalice appears in a 1134 inventory at San Juan de la Peña monastery, listed as the cup where “Christ Our Lord consecrated His blood,” sent by Lawrence to Huesca. In 1399, the monastery gave it to King Martin I of Aragon for a gold cup, and it later reached Valencia Cathedral’s chapel, where it remains. In 1805, Napoleon seized the Genoa Dish, returning it damaged in 1816, proving it was glass, not emerald. The Antioch Chalice, made in the 6th century, was found in 1910 in Antioch, once touted as the Grail. The Nanteos Cup gained fame in the late 19th century at Nanteos Mansion, Wales, linked to healing. The Chalice of Doña Urraca, tied to an 11th-century tale, rests in León’s St. Isidore Basilica. Popes John Paul II (1982) and Benedict XVI (2006) used the Valencia Chalice in Mass, blessing its legacy.

Its Meaning

This relic—or these relics—carry a story of faith spanning nearly 2,000 years. They remind us of Jesus’ great love, how He shared His blood in a simple cup to save us, a moment of grace that echoes in every Eucharist. The Valencia Chalice, with its quiet beauty, draws pilgrims to pray, not for miracles but for closeness to Him. The Genoa Dish, once thought emerald, shines in medieval tales of wonder. In Arthurian legend, starting with Robert de Boron in the late 12th century, the Grail became a holy quest, tied to Joseph of Arimathea bringing it to Hispania, inspiring works like the Lancelot-Grail and Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. The Antioch and Nanteos cups hold their own quiet fame, while Doña Urraca’s adds a Reconquista twist. Kept safe today, they bring peace and gratitude, showing Jesus’ mercy endures, a treasure lifting our hearts to Him.

Timeline of the Holy Chalice

• Around 33 AD: Jesus uses a cup at the Last Supper in Jerusalem.
• 258: Saint Lawrence sends it to Spain from Rome (tradition).
• 530: Breviary notes a chalice at Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre.
• 570: Antoninus sees an onyx cup in Jerusalem’s Basilica.
• 670: Arculf mentions a chalice near Jerusalem.
• 1101: Genoa Dish taken from Caesarea to Genoa Cathedral.
• 1134: Valencia Chalice listed at San Juan de la Peña monastery.
• Late 12th Century: Robert de Boron links it to the Grail legend.
• 1290s: Jacobus de Voragine calls Genoa Dish the Grail.
• 1399: Valencia Chalice given to King Martin I of Aragon.
• 1436: Pedro Tafur reports Genoa’s Grail as emerald.
• Early 6th Century: Antioch Chalice made, found in 1910.
• 1805: Napoleon seizes Genoa Dish, returned in 1816 as glass.
• Late 19th Century: Nanteos Cup tied to healing in Wales.
• 1982: Pope John Paul II uses Valencia Chalice in Mass.
• 2006: Pope Benedict XVI celebrates with Valencia Chalice.
• 2014: Book links Doña Urraca Chalice to Grail in León.
• Present Day: Kept in Valencia, Genoa, León, New York, and Wales.

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