Believed it or not, the world’s tallest cross is here in Spain. But its location is being repurposed.
The world’s tallest cross is in fact the 492-foot cross at the Valley of the Fallen. The Valley of the Fallen is a huge complex built after the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). It is located some 30 miles north-west of Madrid at El Escorial, and was inaugurated by General Franco in 1959 as a “national act of atonement” and reconciliation. It consists of an underground basilica, a monumental cross, a Benedictine monastery, a school, and Stations of the Cross. Between 33,000 and 50,000 Spanish people, from both sides of the civil war are buried there.
The Spanish government’s initial idea was to deconsecrate the basilica, which could have included the destruction of the cross. But it now appears that that is not included in the proposal. Rather the project “will offer a new, critical, and informed perspective on the history of our country” that will transform the space into “a place for educational, cultural, and democratic use”, according to the Government’s proposal.
Read the full story here. See the list of the world’s tallest crosses here.
Photo: Valley of the Fallen by Godot13. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International licence.