ARTHURIAN ART

Valencia's Holy Chalice Property of Valencia's "Holy Chalice Brotherhood" in Spain

   The archeologist Antonio Beltran made a very detailed report about the cup, reference: BELTRAN, ANTONIO, "Estudio sobre el Santo Caliz de la Catedral de Valencia", 4th ed., Zaragoza, Octavio y Felez, 1984. The Chalice is a Paleochristian vase, 9.5 cm of diameter, 7cm tall, 5cm diameter bottom, mounted in a double handled base, thus making a cup about 17 cm tall. There is an Arabic inscription in the base, perhaps a clue of the Cordobese origin of this addition.
   Hans Wilhelm Shaefer ("Kelch und Stein", Frankfurt and Bern 1983), transcribes the inscription as ALBST SLJS and then reads "Al-labsit As-Silis", linking this with the name of the graal as it appears in Wolfram's Parzival (1210).
   Today the piece is kept in Valencia. Visit the Santo Caliz Grail of the Last Supper for history and images. Valencian reports date the relic references as far back as 14 December 1134, but the quoted documents have not been found.