Cuenca, similar to the spanish word cuenco, “bowl”, evoques something that holds, nourishes and embraces, that is why for many centuries Cuenca has been a melting pot of different peoples: Olcades, Carpetani, Romans, Muslims anc Christians.

Cuenca is also full of symbols. In the coat of arms of the city, with a chalice crowned by a star, many people say that you can find the reference to the Holy Grail, that it is also related to the conquest of the city by Alfonso the 8th, the Christian king, to the Muslims. That conquest is a narration full of images, such us the one referring to the stars that were observed by the king when the historical moment of the conquest arrived.

Other symbols we can find are the Templar origins, with historic Templar references such as the crosses found in the Cathedral and the powerful images of the strength and courage of the Archangel Michael in Saint Pantaleon.

On the timeline, Cuenca is an extreme contrast, between old places full of roots and memories mixed with modernity, art and the explosion of the creativity, an IAO that weaves what the city is, was, and will be. Cuenca is also that rich mixture.

Talking about the elements, Cuenca is water, criss-crossed and surrounded by its two rivers that enrichen nature around it and shape and carve its rock… because Cuenca is also rock, limestone rock, pierced, furrow, gorge and altitude. The limestone rock, melancholically absorbs everything, rock sculpted throughout time, it is the place to pull the thread to start knitting and unknitting life.

Cuenca, besides bowl, water and rock, it is also high, because up it goes crowning the sky and down it goes observing the precipice, skyscraper, earthscraper, a constant movement trying to to be reconected and tied together again and again.

Cuenca: Holy Grail, bowl, rock, beauty and high

Cuenca, light! More Light!