Magellan's Cross

The Magellan kiosk that houses the cross


A plague below the Magellan's Cross


The Magellan's Cross


Magellan's Cross is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese, and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on April 21, 1521.

This cross is housed in a chapel next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Magallanes Street (Magallanes being the Spanish name of Magellan), just in front of the city hall of Cebu City. A sign below the cross describes the original cross is encased inside the wooden cross that is found in the center of the chapel. This is to protect the original cross from people who chipped away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers.Some people, however, believe that the original cross had been destroyed or had disappeared after Magellan's death, and the cross is a replica that was planted there by the Spaniards after they successfully colonized the Philippines.

Magellan's Cross is a symbol of Cebu, and the chapel's image can be found in its city seal. It is also seen as the symbol of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines.

How to get there

Shell and woodcraft vendors outside Magellan's CrossMagellan’s Cross is right in front of the old Cebu City Hall building, which is now being renovated as a legislative building, in downtown Cebu near the port area. The easiest way to go to the area is to take a taxi, all drivers know where it is. If you’re from the uptown area, the taxi ride may cost you around P60. If you’re coming from Lapu-Lapu City in Mactan Island, the taxi fare may be around P200.

If you feel adventurous and you want to tour Cebu City via public transport, you can take one of the many public utility jeepneys with routes passing near the area. Just check the jeepney’s signboard, usually on the windshield, if it says City Hall or Basilica (for the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino, which is right next to Magellan’s Cross).

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