The Magellan's Cross is a Christian cross erected on the Cebu Island in 1521 by Portuguese and Spanish sailors at the behest of Fernan Magellan. Magellan himself was a Portuguese who worked for the Spanish king. It was he who was the first European to set foot on Philippine soil. Sadly, it was here where he died - killed by a local tribal leader in a struggle for control of the island of Mactan. Magellan ordered the installation of a wooden cross to perpetuate a significant event - the adoption of Christianity by the local Muslim Rajah Humabon, his wife and numerous warriors.
Today, the Magellan's Cross is one of the main landmarks of Cebu City, the capital of the island, and its symbol depicted on the city seal. The cross is located on Magallanes Street in a small chapel next to the Basilica of Santo Niño, the oldest church in the Philippines, and right in front of the city government building city government building. The brick chapel, which is shaped like an octagon, was specially built to house the cross in 1834. At the foot of the cross, it is customary to light candles and coins at the foot of the cross.
A plaque placed at the base of the cross in the centre of the chapel states that the one cross that was brought to Cebu Island by Europeans is inside this one, the wooden one. This was done specifically to protect the historical relic from those who want to nibble a piece of it as a memento, as well as those who believe that pieces of Magellan's cross have healing powers. It's true, some people believe that the original cross was long ago destroyed or disappeared and that the current one is merely a copy made by the Spanish after the successful colonisation of the Philippines.
