World of Crosses

Through nearly 2000 years of Christianity, many different crosses have emerged. Here are some famous and not so famous crosses and crucifixes from different parts of the world. Some are crosses from the collection, others are photographs, and a few are links to interesting crosses.

This is a work in process. A few crosses outside of the Americas are included in the links.

Americas

The Americas largely represent two different traditions, Protestant in the United States and Catholicism in Canada and Latin America. Through Russian settlements in Alaska and California, small pockets of the Orthodox Church were brought to the New World. In most Protestant churches, crosses were largely associated with the Catholic Church and were rarely a part of worship until the nineteenth century.

Crosses are found in nearly all cultures. Early explorers found many crosses in Mesoamerica. The Mayan tree at the center of the world is as involved as any Christian representation of a cross. Further north, native Americans saw the cross as a sign of direction, of the sun, or of power, sometimes painted on the gloves of shaman.

To select a cross by state or country in the Americas, please click on the map (there may be multiple crosses by location, such as three in California). You can also simply advance through the crosses by clicking next below. Another alternative is the jump page menu above, or simply use the list to crosses below.

• Alaska
• Montreal
• Oregon
• Fort Ross
• San Francisco
• Los Angeles
• Sedona, AZ
• Zuni
• Collegeville, PA
• North Carolina
• Mexico
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Panama
• Peru
• Brazil
• Balkans
• Ukraine
• Slovakia