Where is the Holy Grail? There are roughly 200 alleged Holy Grails in various locations around the world. But if you will ever find the real cup that held Jesus blood, remains the question. Many churches claim to possess the Holy Chalice Jesus drank from at the Holy Supper.
There are at least 9 locations related tot the Holy Grail:
- Glastonbury
- Valencia
- Leon
- Montserrat
- Oak Island
- Rosslyn Chapel
- Lorenzo, Genoa
- Rennes le Château
- Tréhorenteuc, Brittany
The Holy Grail In Glastonbury
After the crucifixion of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea made his family grave available to ensure that Jesus could be buried there. It is assumed he collected the blood of Jesus after the lance stabbed Him. He collected the blood in the same chalice Jesus drank from, the night before he was crucified.
Joseph of Arimathea then traveled to England. There he buried the Grail under the Tor (Tower) of Glastonbury. After this, a spring sprang up, Chalice Well. The water from this source is medicinal because the Grail is hidden under it.
The Holy Grail In Valencia
Valencia is one of the world’s “Eight Holy Cities,” along with Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela. It is also known as a “City of the Holy Grail.”
Since the 15th century, the Holy Grail has been in the city of Valencia. It came there after a long trip through Catalonia, Huesca, and the Pyrenees. How it even got to Spain, let alone this cathedral, is a very long story that historians can’t agree on. Some experts think that St. Peter took the artifact to Rome, and then a soldier from the Vatican took it to Spain.
The chalice bears an Arabic inscription dating back to the 1st century.
The Holy Grail In Leon
According to historians Margarita Torres and José Miguel Ortego del Rio, the cup is in the Basilica of San Isidoro in León, Spain. With the help of pieces of parchment from Egypt, they could trace the cup’s history from Jesus’ last supper to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
From there, the cup was taken to Spain by the kings of León. In 2014, they published their findings in the book Kings of the Grail: Tracing the Historic Journey of the Holy Grail from Jerusalem to Spain. This book is for sale at Amazon.
The Holy Grail In Montserrat
Montserrat Abbey, just north of Barcelona, would also be a perfect location.
The Grail legend states that the sacred chalice is on a mountain called Mont-Salvat, which is near the Pyrenees. A lot of people thought that Mont-Salvat was the same as Montserrat. This made a lot of adventurers think the valuable treasure is hidden there.
Goethe was convinced that the Grail could be found here. Wagner would later adopt this idea in his libretto of Percival.
People say that SS leader Himmler went to Barcelona in 1940 and looked for the Holy Grail in Montserrat.
Is The Holy Grail Hidden At Oak Island?
The Knights Templar, a religious military order, are said to have collected a large treasure that includes the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant. Some people think that the Templar treasure was buried on Oak Island because they found Templar symbols there, like a rock formation that looks like a Christian cross.
The Curse of Oak Island is a very popular series on History Chanel. Follow the link below to read what treasures are found up to now. The Holy Grail was not one of them.
Rosslyn Chapel And The Holy Grail
Rosslyn Chapel is associated with the Holy Grail by two myths. The first myth is that the Sinclair family are descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. This holy bloodline is symbolized by the Holy Grail.
The second myth has to do with Sir William Sinclair (1240-1299) being a Knight Templar. Knowing the templars would be betrayed, he had taken the Holy Grail with him to Scotland for safekeeping. One of his great-grandchildren, also called Sir William Sinclair (1410-1448), built Rosslyn Chapel to hide the object.
I am convinced that both stories are myths, nevertheless Rosslyn Chapel is a fascinating place to visit.
The Grail of Lorenzo in Genoa, Italy
In this case, the Grail is a green glass dish, the sacro catino. History says that this emerald-colored glass bowl with six sides was brought to the city of Genoa in 1101. People think it’s the Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper. Napoleon’s troops took it as war booty at the beginning of the 19th century. The bowl was given back to Genoa after Napoleon’s time.
Pope Gelasius II dedicated the cathedral in 1118. It was mostly built in the Middle Ages between the 12th and 14th centuries, with a few additions from later times. The secondary naves and side covers are in the Romanesque style, while the main facade is Gothic and was built in the early 1300s. The capitals, columns, and interior corridors were built in the early 1400s. Both the bell tower and the dome were built in the 1600s.
It is a magnificent cathedral to visit!
Rennes Le Chateau
The small village of Rennes le Chateau is a source of mystery, and some researchers believe the Grail is hidden there. It is one of the many myths surrounding this village. The grail connection was first mentioned in the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. In this book a new concept of the Holy Grail was introduced. The Grail was seen as the womb of Mary Magdalene and represented the offspring of Jesus Christ. According to them, Mary Magdalene and Jesus were married to each other. The Holy Grail (in Old French Sangreal) is not San Greal (Holy Grail) but Sang Real (royal blood).
The writers claimed that Godfrey of Bouillon founded the Templars to protect the secret of the holy bloodline. Another secret society, the Priory of Sion, would be an offshoot of the Templars. Although this Priory was probably a fabrication of a Frenchman, Pierre Plantard, the idea of a holy and royal bloodline remained. The plot of the bestseller The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is based on this idea.
The Rennes le Chateau priest stumbled on this secret and used it to blackmail the church.
Tréhorenteuc, the Grailchurch in Brittany
Trehorenteuc is situated in the forest of Paimpont, a fascinating forest in Brittany, France. According to local legends, this is the forest Brocéliande, where King Arthur’s mysterious half-sister, Morgana, held her false lovers captive.
The priest of Trehorenteuc had this small chapel in Morbihan redecorated with paintings that combined the symbols of the Celtic and Christian religions with the Holy Grail. The result is a fascinating small church with lots of references to the grail and the surrounding forest.
So, where is the Holy Grail?
I don’t believe the holy grail exists. It is an object from a medieval story that was largely embraced by the church due to the story’s popularity.
Having said that, the quest for the Holy Grail remains enthralling. While looking for it, you will come across many interesting stories, and you might visit many interesting places.
You might like to share an interesting story about the grailquest. You can reach me by Facebook or by mail.
