The Cultural Association 'The Way of the Holy Grail' is launching a cultural cycle that will visit seven municipalities in the province of Teruel from September 11 to 19, 2026. The initiative, subsidized by the Government of Aragon under Order ECD/500/2026 and supported by the participating town councils, aims to deepen knowledge of the Holy Grail route and the historical and monumental heritage of each locality. The cycle includes conferences in Báguena, San Martín del Río, Fuentes Claras, Caminreal, San Agustín, Albentosa, and La Puebla de Valverde, all towns linked to the route.
Each session, titled "The Way of the Holy Grail and its passage through [municipality]," will be delivered by Joaquín Poquet of ArtCare Consulting. The talks will address local heritage—churches, castles, hermitages, bridges, and archaeological sites—within the broader context of the route. This approach distinguishes between historically documented heritage and cultural interpretations, avoiding unfounded historical claims. By focusing on each municipality's unique heritage, the cycle reinforces local identity and highlights the role of small towns in a larger cultural narrative.
The program also underscores Aragon's fundamental place in the history of The Way of the Holy Grail. The tradition linked to the Holy Chalice, now kept in the Cathedral of Valencia, traces much of its history to Aragonese territory, particularly Huesca and the Pyrenees, before its arrival in Valencia, where documentary evidence of its deposit dates to 1437. Since its founding in 2002, the Cultural Association 'El Camino del Santo Grial' has worked to create and consolidate a land route connecting the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña with the Cathedral of Valencia, crossing numerous Aragonese municipalities. The September conferences contribute to disseminating this route and valuing the cultural heritage of the small towns along it.
Holding seven meetings in as many municipalities transfers cultural activity directly to the territory, bringing knowledge of the itinerary closer to inhabitants. The cycle is based on the idea that the Camino cannot be understood merely as a line on a map, but through the villages, landscapes, heritage, and communities that give it continuity. Each conference offers a local reading within a broader territorial project, allowing residents to understand what it means to be part of The Way of the Holy Grail and what heritage elements make their municipality unique. This initiative is part of the Cultural Network in Aragon and is subsidized by the Government of Aragon under Order ECD/500/2026, aimed at developing cultural activities in the territory.
The work on this historical and cultural route also has an international dimension. The International Association Cultural Route The Way of the Holy Grail in Europe is advancing the project's European scope and the process to present it as a candidate for Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. This perspective situates the municipalities within a wider cultural narrative, where local heritage is essential. The cycle in Teruel starts from that scale: first getting to know the territory, documenting it, disseminating it, and involving the local population in its heritage and its belonging to the Camino. More than two decades of work by the association—including the management and dissemination of the official pilgrimage credential, now in its fourth edition with over 31,000 accumulated units—demonstrates a sustained commitment to linking research, dissemination, heritage, territory, and local participation, placing municipalities as protagonists of the cultural construction of the itinerary.
For further information, see 24/7 Valencia.
