Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: San Juan de la Peña

According to the Roman historian Titus Livius "Valentia" was founded by Consul Decimus Iunius Brutus Callaicus in the 4th century BC. A century later "Valentia Edetanorum" became one of the first Hispanic cities to become a Roman colony. The city made rapid progress after the Arab conquest in 711, reaching 15,000 inhabitants in the Caliphate of Córdoba. The Amirids and the Dhun Nunids ruled in “Balansiya”. In 1094, El Cid, a Castilian noble, conquered the city. The conquest was not carried out on behalf of one of the Christian kingdoms, but on the Cid's own account, who proclaimed himself "Señor de Valencia" and thus created a kind of private kingdom. He was able to defend the city against several Almoravid attacks, and after his death in 1099, his widow Jimena managed to hold Valencia until 1102, when it fell to the Almoravids, and a little later to the Almohads. After the victory of the united Christian armies over the Almohads in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), Moorish Spain fell apart again into individual small kingdoms, including a Taifa from Valencia. It was finally conquered in 1238 by Jaime​ I de Aragón (aka "el Conquistador"), after a five-month siege. In the 15th century, the city grew rapidly and developed into one of the largest Mediterranean ports and an important trade and financial center. At the beginning of the 15th century the city had around 40,000. There was once a Roman temple on the site of the church, which was converted into a Visigothic church after the Muslim conquest and converted into a mosque. After the reconquest in 1237, it became a church again. The construction of the current Gothic-style building began in 1262 and was completed in the 15th century. However, its construction went on for centuries, so there is a mixture of Renaissance, Baroque, and Classicism styles. A (purported) Holy Chalice is kept in one of the cathedral's chapels. The Holy Chalice is an agate cup, commonly credited as being the actual Holy Grail used by Jesus during the Last Supper. It was most likely produced in a Palestinian or Egyptian workshop between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. The first reference to the "Chalice of Valencia" is in an inventory of the monastery of San Juan de la Peña from 1134. Reference to the chalice is made again in 1399 when it was given by the monastery of San Juan de la Peña to King Martin I of Aragon. The "Chalice of Valencia" is not the only existing "Holy Chalice". There is one in Genoa and another one in Leon. The Antioch chalice, kept in New York, may have been a part of a 6th-century lamp.

According to the Roman historian Titus Livius "Valentia" was founded by Consul Decimus Iunius Brutus Callaicus in the 4th century BC. A century later "Valentia Edetanorum" became one of the first Hispanic cities to become a Roman colony. The city made rapid progress after the Arab conquest in 711, reaching 15,000 inhabitants in the Caliphate of Córdoba. The Amirids and the Dhun Nunids ruled in “Balansiya”. In 1094, El Cid, a Castilian noble, conquered the city. The conquest was not carried out on behalf of one of the Christian kingdoms, but on the Cid's own account, who proclaimed himself "Señor de Valencia" and thus created a kind of private kingdom. He was able to defend the city against several Almoravid attacks, and after his death in 1099, his widow Jimena managed to hold Valencia until 1102, when it fell to the Almoravids, and a little later to the Almohads. After the victory of the united Christian armies over the Almohads in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), Moorish Spain fell apart again into individual small kingdoms, including a Taifa from Valencia. It was finally conquered in 1238 by Jaime​ I de Aragón (aka "el Conquistador"), after a five-month siege. In the 15th century, the city grew rapidly and developed into one of the largest Mediterranean ports and an important trade and financial center. At the beginning of the 15th century the city had around 40,000. There was once a Roman temple on the site of the church, which was converted into a Visigothic church after the Muslim conquest and converted into a mosque. After the reconquest in 1237, it became a church again. The construction of the current Gothic-style building began in 1262 and was completed in the 15th century. However, its construction went on for centuries, so there is a mixture of Renaissance, Baroque, and Classicism styles. A (purported) Holy Chalice is kept in one of the cathedral's chapels. The Holy Chalice is an agate cup, commonly credited as being the actual Holy Grail used by Jesus during the Last Supper. It was most likely produced in a Palestinian or Egyptian workshop between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. The first reference to the "Chalice of Valencia" is in an inventory of the monastery of San Juan de la Peña from 1134. Reference to the chalice is made again in 1399 when it was given by the monastery of San Juan de la Peña to King Martin I of Aragon. The "Chalice of Valencia" is not the only existing "Holy Chalice". There is one in Genoa and another one in Leon. The Antioch chalice, kept in New York, may have been a part of a 6th-century oil lamp.

"Santa María la Real" is one of the highlights for all people following the "Camino Aragonés" - since about 800 years. The facade is impressing it may take hours, to find out the many details. I stayed an extra day, when I had reached the town, just to see the shadows movig over the carvings. A church did exist here already in 1131 next to the bridge crossing the river Aragon. It was transferred by Alfonso I to the "Knights Hospitaller" (aka "Order of Saint John", later "Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta"). The apse is the oldest part of the structure and probably dates back to that time. The nave and the breathtaking Southern Portal of Santa María la Real were created late 12th/13th century. I have uploaded a "total overview" earlier and will now focus on some details. Two registers stretch over the complete facade. There is Christ, flanked by the symbols of the evangelists, accompanied by 14 large statues, probably apostles and angels. Here is one of them, holding a scroll. The sculpture may seem a little "stiff" compared to the scenes, that can be found in the cloister of San Juan de la Peña (about 70kms east), but it is obviously created by the same master or workshop. The cloister is dated ca. 1190, the sculptures here may be a little older.

...one of many well preserved capitals. Please wake me up at.....