This place probably was pretty crowded in 2012 when some anticipated a cataclysmic end to most of us.
The Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Gracia in Cuenca is entangled in the mystery of the secret location of the Holy Grail. Some believe the 12 gates lorded over by 12 angels represent an architectural code indicating the grail can be found within the cathedral, making it the safest place in the world to be when the doom prophesied by Nostradamus strikes.
The architecture – Gothic-Anglo Norman – of the cathedral reflects the marital union of the royalty commissioning it in 1196. Twenty years after gaining Cuenca back from the Moors, King Alfonso VIII (1158-1214) and Eleanor (1177-1214), the daughter of Henry II of England, had the monumental cathedral underway.
Ignorant during our visit, we failed to look for the 12th angel holding a cupful of clues or any symbols left by Knights Templar to mark a trail to the grail.
But we did find treasures, amazing grilles.
The grillwork fronting the chapels is exquisite, but extremely difficult to photograph without flash. It’s wonderful it will be spared destruction when doomsday arrives.
Postcards from Barton Springs 