161010 History Talk 10th Oct: Sangreal The Romano-Spanish Legend of the Holy Grail

David will be telling the story of the Romano-Spanish tradition of the Holy Grail (Sangreal), first with the legendary arrival of the Cup of Christ at Glastonbury in AD 38, carried to Britain by Jesus’ uncle, Joseph of Arimathea. In AD 52, following the capture of the British king Caratacus (Caradoc) by the victorious army of Emperor Claudius, the cup was taken to Rome by Caratacus’ son Linus, as members of the British royal family (all converted Christians) were sent into exile. It was then used in the ritual of the Eucharist by the first bishops of Rome for two centuries. During the Valerian persecution of AD 258, which resulted in the beheading of Pope Sixtus II, the Sangreal was secreted away from the papal treasury by Saint Lawrence and sent to Huesca in Aragon, where it fell under the protection of the Aragonese kings during the Moorish occupation of Spain. Eventually, in 1437, the sacred relic reached its final destination in Valencia Cathedral where it is known today as the Santo Caliz (Sacred Chalice).