Magellan's Cross

Magellan's Cross

Introduction Magellan's Cross is located on the island of Mactan, east of Cebu Island. In 1521, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan preached Catholicism in Cebu. On April 14 of that year, Father Pedro Valderama baptized the first Filipino Catholics — the native chieftain Rajah Humabon, his wife Queen Juana, and around 400 other natives. To commemorate this significant religious event, Magellan erected a cross in Cebu.

Between 1525 and 1740, monks from the Agustinian church built an open-air altar for the cross. Locals believed the cross had miraculous powers and thought that scraping off its shavings and consuming them could cure various ailments, leading them to peel away parts of its exterior. To protect this historic relic, a pavilion-like structure was later constructed along the route from the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño to Fort San Pedro to house the cross. Today, it is specially encased in a hollow frame made of Tinadalo wood. The hexagonal ceiling mural has been preserved in its original form, retaining vivid and lifelike colors.

The people of Cebu hold this cross, which carries great historical and cultural significance, in deep reverence. Every Sunday morning, numerous devotees come bearing candles and incense to pray earnestly for peace and good fortune.

Cebu, Philippines