##The French television channel RMC Découverte will broadcasted in December 2020, a documentary on the Holy Grail of Valencia. It contains unpublished information based on the discoveries about the proto-history of the Holy Chalice in the Cathedral of Valencia that are contained in the thesis of Dr. Ana Mafé García. This thesis with International Mention Cum Laude was presented in 2019 in the Department of History of Art at the University of Valencia (UV).

Under the title “LES THEORIES DU GRAAL” (Grail Theories) she will show the treasure that the Cathedral of Valencia houses, an object of incalculable historical value, the Holy Grail.
However, the documentary also shows how in other parts of the world, other objects are also claimed as grails and continue to feed many theories.

The 50-minute documentary is directed by Stéphane Cascino. It answers questions such as: What do we really know about the Grail? Is it a chalice? Is it a sacred dish? Is it the Blood of Christ? Is it an imaginary object from Arthurian literature or a divine teaching?

This documentary will reveal the many theories behind the term “Holy Grail.”

Thanks to experts, historians and scientists, this unprecedented documentary confronts legend with science in an attempt to finally put a face on the greatest myth of humanity.
Stéphane Cascino’s research is based on the theory that there is a “mysterious chalice” in the Cathedral of Valencia that has always been considered to be the Holy Grail.
However, in other parts of the world they believe it may be the Blood of Christ. It is this last hypothesis that led the RMC Découverte teams to the Basilica of Saint-Etienne de Neuvy- Saint-Sépulchre, to discover part of the relics of the precious blood.

The Holy Chalice
The Holy Chalice of the Cathedral of Valencia is probably the cup that Jesus Christ held between his fingers at the Last Supper shortly before dying on the cross. It is also a symbol associated with power and blood.

According to Dr. Mafé’s research, it is the most sought-after sacred relic of the Western Middle Ages.

Since its appearance in literature, this cup of blessing promises power, influence and eternal life. However, its true and most universal meaning is to remember Jesus and his memory from Love.

Remember that from October 25th of this year the Eucharistic Jubilee Year of the “Chalice of the Passion” will be celebrated until October 28th 2021.

In the documentary, Dr. María Gómez shows part of the scientific studies carried out in the Art History Laboratory of the University of Valencia together with Dr. Mafé, which shows that the cup in the Cathedral of Valencia is a true “Hebrew cup of blessing” from more than two thousand years ago, belonging to a Jewish family descending from the tribe of Judah. Archaeologically classified as “Kos Kidush Esther – Valencia, 2018”. It is the only full cup of these characteristics that exists in the world.

His doctoral studies were granted by the #verysentirlacultura programme of the Losan Optical Centre, and are included as an essay in the book El Santo Grial (The Holy Grail), published by Sargantana, which explains the travelling journey of the relic from Jerusalem, through the catacombs of Rome and on to Osca, Hispania.

At Mafé’s request, the RMC Découverte channel can reveal one of the greatest secrets of the Holy Chalice: the light taken by candles, which reflects the essence of the cup, which has not been shown on television until now.

In this documentary, the presence of Don Alvaro Almenar Picallo, Canon and Custodian of the Holy Chalice, Don Juan Agustín Blasco Carbó, the first researcher to determine a possible double reading in Arabic and Hebrew of the epigraphy of the Holy Chalice, is highlighted.

We recall that in 2014 the Vatican granted the Cathedral of Valencia the title of Jubilee in perpetuity every 5 years, thus reaching the third position within the Jubilee cities after Jerusalem and Rome. Cities that, by the way, are also part of the Way of the Holy Grail, Route of Knowledge, Way of Peace.

Report by Will McCarthy
Photo by Jose Cuñat