ARAGON -VALENCIA: Holy Grail Territory

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to show the importance of creating a touristic description of a region or a locality based on its history that will be of interest to a visitor. There is no doubt that the curious tourist who possesses the knowledge of the past will experience an enhanced appreciation for the destination visited. The methodology to achieve this objective begins with research into the literary traditions based on the pursuit of the Holy Grail. It was widespread throughout Medieval Europe and revived at the end of the XIX Century in France and Great Britain. In addition, we searched for the historic sources that inspired the legends that were based on the deeds which took place in the Kingdom of Aragon and its territories between the XI and XIV Centuries. As human beings, the search for inner divinity is a reality that we cannot overlook. Everywhere we go there is a legend, an initiatory journey that induces us to connect with this inner divinity of ours and with Nature itself. We propose an example found in Spanish lands that can be used to envisage and to extrapolate stories of inner growth. These stories can be used by the tourists who visit these locations to increase their enjoyment of the new experiences related to an understanding of humanity and its inherent goodness. They will travel roads that have always existed and now, more than ever, are being taken again. This paper ends recommendations that future research should focus on the combined efforts of the regions of Aragon and Valencia for a structuring the Route of the Holy Grail, in order to offer the tourist an experience based on historical facts.