The I Jornadas Camino del Santo Graal in Ciutat Vella (1+1=5) start with a floral happening in the centre of Valencia.

The Department of Entrepreneurship and Economic Innovation has launched a series of sponsored activities in ‘Ciutat Vella’(old town) aimed at revitalising this emblematic part of Valencia.

The Asociación Cultural El Camino del Santo Grial has inaugurated (November 23) the I Jornadas Camino del Santo Grial in Ciutat Vella. A large group of people representing different sectors of society met at midday in C/ Santo Cáliz.

Francisco Molina, Territorial Director of the Presidency of the Generalitat Valenciana, María Ruíz, Head of the Cultural Tourism Unit of the Valencian Community Tourism, Jesús Gimeno Peris, councillor of the Town Council of Massamagrell, municipality that represents the last stage of the route before arriving in Valencia, attended the event. In addition to Mr. Fernando Giner and Mrs. Amparo Picó, councillors of the Valencia City Council from the Ciudadanos group and Mr. Jose Vicente Gosalbez, councillor of the VOX group.

Mr. Álvaro Almenar, Custodian Custodian of the Holy Chalice of the Cathedral of Valencia has apologised for not being able to attend due to his busy schedule. Members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Chalice of the Cathedral of Valencia attended the event along with a group of supporters and onlookers.

The event began with a welcoming speech by Dr. Ana Mafé García, president of the Cultural Association The Way of the Holy Grail. Through a manifesto she explained that for the next Jubilee Year, in October 2025, this street should be full of pilgrims entering and leaving the building that occupies almost the entire street and which is now in a state of disrepair.

She recalled that, for the Next Generation funds, there is an allocation of 1,080 million euros that will be used for the rehabilitation of public buildings throughout the country. And that, right on Micalet Street there is a building (former headquarters of the Department of Interior) that is in complete abandonment and could well serve to make an interpretation centre of the Way of the Holy Grail, a place for the various pilgrim associations (Camino de San Vicente and Camino de Santiago del Levante) to have their headquarters.

The train of European funding will pass in 2023. And if this money is not invested in creating future options to position the city of Valencia in the world, once again, the Valencian authorities will demonstrate their inability to “take present and future development trains”.

The floral happening was conceived by Sergio Aliaga Torrent and Daniel Iacob, owners of Innovación Floral, the florist’s shop in the Corte Inglés de Colón based in Puzol, a town that also marks the Camino del Santo Grial.

They told those present that the intention of this action is to dignify a street that represents a Christian symbol, but also a universal and European one at the same time.

“When Dr. Ana Mafé García, president of the Asociación Cultural El Camino del Santo Grial asked us to carry out a floral happening (an artistic performance made entirely with flowers), we thought it was a magnificent idea to pay homage to this street in Ciutat Vella with this artistic event. The painters use canvases and brushes, the graffiti artists use sprays and walls, we use painted philodendron and ruscus, poinsettias, eucalyptus and gipsofilia plants.” explained Sergio Aliaga, pointing to the vegetal arch that decorates the street.

The Asociación Cultural El Camino del Santo Grial has promoted the beautification of C/Santo Cáliz in Ciutat Vella through a proposal designed, sustainable and environmental with the aim of promoting public awareness and education on urban issues by improving the visual, functional and landscape quality of this street so emblematic for its name.

This intervention consisted of an arch with vegetation at the entrance and a plant frame around the oldest plaque with a small reproduction of the Holy Chalice. Decorating the centre of this pedestrian street are mobile elements. The colours chosen are green and brown.

Pots with red Christmas flowers (poinsettia) have been placed so that the attendees can take a souvenir of this performance and participate in it.

All the politicians in attendance have joined the initiative of the Way of the Holy Grail to make in Ciutat Vella a reception centre for pilgrims with pets (which do not exist as such on the Camino de Santiago) and a place to serve the pilgrim in their cultural and recreational needs. Thus uniting all the pilgrim associations of the city: Camino del San Vicente Mártir, Camino de Santiago del Levante and Camino del Santo Grial.

At the end of the event, in the premises of Jesús Ortega, the Colmado de la Lola, a small agape was prepared and a toast was made to all the good initiatives that the consolidation of the Camino del Santo Grial, Ruta del Conocimiento, Camino de la Paz in the city of Valencia can bring about.

Report by ’24/7 Valencia’ team