Has the quest to find the Holy Grail been fulfilled?
Two historians claim in their new book, Kings of the Grail, that the Holy Grail Jesus drank from at the last supper sits in the Basilica de San Isidro in León. This object, previously known as the goblet of the daughter of King of León Fernando I, Infanta Doña Urraca, is conveniently located in the museum attached to the Colegiata de San Isidoro Hotel (where we will be staying in León) so we’ll have the unique opportunity to see it for ourselves.
The historians began by examining two medieval Egyptian parchments found in 2011 that say the chalice of Christ was taken from the Christian community in Jerusalem to Cairo. After its arrival in Cairo, an emir in Muslim Spain received it as a reward for helping Egyptians during a famine. The sacred cup was then finally presented to King Fernando as a gift and has been in León since the 11th century. This investigation has led researchers to believe that the missing fragment of the goblet, beautifully crafted from agate, gold, and onyx encrusted with precious stones, was the same as the Holy Grail described in the parchments. The object sitting in the San Isidro Basilica museum was formed by two goblets joined together - the upper part of it is thought to be the fragment described in the parchments. Scientific dating estimates that the cup was made between 200BC and 100AD, therefore supporting the researchers’ claims, although there is a 400 year gap between when the goblet was first created and when it was first officially documented. So the question still remains - have they found the Holy Grail? You’ll be the judge as you visit the home of this mysterious goblet.