http://www.lleidatur.com. Do you know the only remaining Romanesque style cathedral in Catalonia? What are you waiting for? GIORGIO @ THE CATHEDRAL OF VALENCIA 2009 The Cathedral of Valencia (Metropolitan Basilica Cathedral), commonly known as the "Seu" in Catalan, is the see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Valencia. The church was consecrated in 1238 by the first bishop of Valencia Pere d'Albalat and was dedicated by order of James I the Conqueror to Saint Mary. It was built upon the mosque, which in turn had been raised in place of the former Visigothic cathedral. Gothic architecture, in its Catalan or Mediterranean version, is the predominant style of this cathedral, although it also contains Romanesque, French Gothic, Renaissance art, Baroque and neoclassical elements. One of the supposed Holy Chalices, present around the world, is revered in one of this cathedral's chapels; this chalice has been defended as the true Holy Grail; indeed, most Christian historians all over the world declare that all their evidence points to this Valencian chalice as the most likely candidate for being the authentic cup used at the Last Supper.[1] It was the official papal chalice for many popes, and has been used by many others, most recently by Pope Benedict XVI, on July 9, 2006.[2]. This chalice dates from the 1st century, and was given to the cathedral by king Alfons el Magn nim in 1436. Furthermore, this cathedral contains examples of some of the earliest and best Quattrocento paintings of the Iberian Peninsula, which was brought from Rome via artists engaged by the Valencian Pope Alexander VI who, when still a cardinal, made the request to elevate the Valencian See to the rank of metropolitan see, a category granted by Pope Innocent VIII in 1492. Every tattoo on a living canvas tells a story. In this case a young Hispanic woman, Alejandra Gutierrez talks about her trials, victories and faith. The tattoo artist Adrian Lazo gives his input on the process. |