According to the plaque below it, Ferdinand Magellan’s original cross is encased inside another wooden cross inside the chapel outside Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. But some believe that the cross has long been destroyed and is no longer there!
Magellan's Cross is a cultural symbol of Christianity in Cebu. It was planted by Portuguese and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan during their arrival in the Cebu Island in 1521.
The cross is housed in a chapel next to the historic Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Magallanes Street (named after Magellan) just in front of the City Hall. A sign below the cross describes the original cross as being encased inside the wooden cross (tindalo wood) in the center of the chapel.
The case 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 Christianized the Philippines.
Some urban legends even say that it was stolen by Christian Japanese soldiers during World War II.
What do you think happened? Do you believe the 495-year old cross is still there?
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