Valencia Cathedral, Holy Grail Chapel and El Miguelete
Why is it significant?
Stand in Plaza de la Reina and admire the dramatic blend of architectural styles displayed across the Cathedral of Valencia, from its Romanesque Puerta del Palau and French Gothic nave to the soaring Baroque curves of its iron gate facade.
Key Facts
| Place | Valencia Cathedral, Holy Grail Chapel and El Miguelete |
|---|---|
| Address | Plaça de la Reina, s/n, 46001 València, Spain |
| Geo Coordinates | 39.47530, -0.37520 |
| Part of Walk | Valencia Old Town: The Silk Exchange, Medieval Towers, and Holy Grail Cathedral |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand in Plaza de la Reina and admire the dramatic blend of architectural styles displayed across the Cathedral of Valencia, from its Romanesque Puerta del Palau and French Gothic nave to the soaring Baroque curves of its iron gate facade. Consecrated in 1238 over the foundations of the ancient Roman temple of Diana and the grand Moorish mosque, this magnificent temple represents eight centuries of artistic devotion. Rising proudly beside the facade stands El Miguelete, the iconic octagonal Gothic belfry tower begun in 1381, whose fifty-meter climb of two hundred and seven spiral stone steps rewards visitors with peerless vistas.
Enter the cathedral and make your way to the Chapel of the Holy Chalice on the right. In an alabaster Gothic niche rests the Santo Cáliz, a cup of dark brown oriental agate dated by archaeological and geological consensus to the first century before Christ. Tradition and historical documentation record that this sacred relic was used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper in Jerusalem, transported to Rome by Saint Peter, safeguarded in the Pyrenean monastery of San Juan de la Peña, and deposited here by King Alfonso the Magnanimous in 1437.
The cathedral also showcases stunning early Renaissance frescoes painted in 1472 across the high altar vault by Italian masters Paolo de San Leocadio and Francesco Pagano, commissioned by Rodrigo Borgia before he became Pope Alexander the Sixth. The vibrant figures of twelve music-making angels playing lutes, harps, and trumpets against a starry lapis lazuli sky were rediscovered intact beneath Baroque plasterwork during a sensational restoration in 2004.
Look at the Romanesque Puerta del Palau: fourteenth-century stone corbels depict the sculpted portrait heads of seven married couples who helped repopulate Valencia after the Reconquest.
Pass through the Gothic Puerta de los Apóstoles to emerge into Plaza de la Virgen for the final stop of our tour.