Anedoctes surrounding Pope visit to Spain
The Palace of Generalitat was chosen by Royal Family for the celebration of pontifical hearings.
Although the meeting with Pope took place in the Golden Hall, the members of the Royal Family hoped in the Vella room (the same one where every Friday meets to the Consell) before seeing Santo Padre.
Benedicto XVI was impressed - therefore he let know through his assistants by an oil of Fernando - Disciple of Leonardo Da Vinci- dedicated to San Miguel and by the caissoned ceiling, of 1530, considered one of the best ones of Europe.
The Kings of Spain, who acted like hosts of the Pontiff in the institutional building, presented/displayed their seven grandsons to Benedicto XVI and this one was very affectionate with all the children although, specially, with smallest of the group, infant Leonor.
The King presented/displayed the husband of Infant Cristina saying to the Pontiff he was Basque. Benedicto XVI asked to him if it knew the language and the Duke of Palm answered him that "a little".
The Princess de Asturias was very pending of which the apron of Leonor impeccable for her first one meeting with teh Pope. Of course, when the moment arrived for presenting/displaying her to to the Pope for the blessing, Doña Letizia removed the pacifier. The Infanta, as she already begins to be a custom in his "public and private interventions", did not protest and continued staring with curiosity everything what there was in the room of hearings.
Infant Leonor made laugh all the presents when, during the photo of family and being in the arms of her father, she threw of the hair of her cousin Juan Urdangarín.
King and Benedicto XVI spoke all along in Italian and they did not do, that knows itself, nor a single commentary on soccer. The King saluted to him kissing the hand to him and he responded to him with the same gesture.
During the receptions, His Holliness gave to the Kings a tríptico of Renaissance reproduction made in enamel and had a detail with smallest, to those he gave rosaries and medals. In order to correspond to his gesture and as it is the tradition, His Majestys gave him a picture of Cristino Varela, canary author of 75 years of age, that professes a "deep admiration by the Pope", according to informed sources of the Royal House.
The Pope, who loved to be near the families of the forty and two deceaseds in the station of Jesus - where it happened the accident, thanked for "the surprise" of which Don Felipe and Doña Letizia joined him to pray with him. The Prince placed himself in the Pope's right side; and Doña Letizia to his left. His Holliness deposited a crown of white flowers and celebrated a prayer to ask for " the peacefull and eternal rest" of the accident victims of the more serious metro accident in Spain.
The pontifical dependencies, with a surface of 186 square meters, were located near the chapel of the Archbishopric - in the first plant of the building and had views to the landscaped patio. The rooms of the Vicar of Christ were decorated with some familiar photos of the childhood of the Pontiff and pictures recovered - among them the one of the Virgin of the Abandoned coming from the own Archiepiscopal Palace and of the Diocesano Museum. To Benedicto XVI was arranged, also, a small office as waiting room and his secretaries occupied adjacent dormitories. Also, closely to him, it was lodged his doctor and the Swiss Guard of the Vatican, that accompanies the Pope in his trips.
Pope Benedicto XVI turned upside down completely with the Valencian tradition eating paella and drinking horchata. The ones in charge to prepare the food were the "Workers de la Cruz" who, like members of the secular institute of consecrated life, habitually serves in the dependencies of the Archbishopric. The Regulating Council of the Denomination of Origin Chufa of Valencia took care of the drink.
The countless gifts that arrived during these days at Valencia for the Pontiff were arranged in a room of the Archiepiscopal Palace. Among them, emphasized the replica of a century XV chalice from Generalitat, reflection of the artistic transition of the Gothic to the Renaissance, that belonged to Pope Calixto III.
Benedicto XVI joked with the idea that he would like to be the grandfather of the world.
The King wished Benedicto him XVI, "from heart, a long and fecund pontificy". Don Juan Carlos added, that "fills of recognition and pride to us that Spain has been, in several occasions, chosen for the celebration of important days and encounter of the Church with doubtless meaning and universal projection".
Don Juan Carlos and Doña Sofía accompanied to the Pope until the stairway of the airplane, "Villa of a castle".
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