World’s Largest Crosses
Friday, 23rd November 2007 by Alex Turnbull
As so often seems to be the way with claims of "World's Largest", there's a certain amount of jostling for the top slot - regardless of who should rightfully be in it.
Most often described as the World's Largest Cross is the one in Effingham, Illinois. Unfortunately it isn't covered on Google Maps, but Microsoft have a view of the area.1 Bizarrely, on the day this image was taken the cross appears to have donned some sort of invisibility cloak, but take my word for it, at 60.3 m high it just ain't that big.
Over in Groom, Texas, they also have a very large cross, and we can actually see it this time. Dubbed "The second largest cross in the western hemisphere", it used to be the largest in the western hemisphere (until they built the Effingham cross to be 2.4 m taller). Anyway, it's a dubious claim-to-fame either way.
Never fear though, as there's a truly spectacular large cross to see near Madrid, Spain. The Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen) contains one of the world's largest basilicas, which was hewn out of a granite ridge by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco - to honour those who fell during the Spanish Civil War.2 Absolutely towering above the basilica is the tallest memorial cross in the world, a 152.4 metre high stone cross that took 18 years to complete.3
Not to be outdone, in Nazereth plans are underway to build the true "World's largest cross" - but at a proposed 60 metres they're not even going to come close.
More on Effingham, Groom and the Valle de los Caídos at Wikipedia, and in our own original post on the Valle de los Caídos (the imagery of it has been updated since then).
Thanks to Jan & michael woodruff
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If you're not using Internet Explorer or Firefox, expect this link not to work. ↩︎
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Wikipedia says: "Spain's Socialist Government has been debating plans to re-designate the Valley of the Fallen a "monument to Democracy" or as a memorial to all Spaniards killed in conflict." ↩︎
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The memorial as a whole was allegedly built by the forced labour of 20,000 Republican prisoners. ↩︎
About the author
Alex has decided that his title will be Senior Vice President of Stuff.
So does that make the Mt Samat Shrine cross in the Philippines the largest cross at 92 meters in the Eastern hemisphere? Here’s my blog post on it or in Google: View Placemark (14.605776,120.509436)
Christians are so silly…
The Effingham cross is located just southwest of town. Look just east of where 57/70’s north and southbound lanes come together after the interchange.
That’s a completely incorrect definition, the Valle de los Caidos is a man-made cave built as a memorial to the fascist dead, there’s nary a reference to the communists fighting them in the place – I was there earlier this year, I looked and I saw. The fact that it’s actually the tomb of the prisoners worked to death building it, that there’s no reference to them, and that it’s still in use as a church merely adds the cherry to the top of a surviving obscenity ranking longside Auschwitz, Belsen and Dachau. Thankfully, Spain has enacted an interdiction on all fascist memorials – and that includes this place. The only kind of rebranding it deserves is as a memorial to the victims buried there, and to the horrors of war: if ever there was a place to house Picasso’s Guernica, that’s it, rather than the monstrosity of a building it’s currently in.
Our Father, who art in pesto Alfredo be thy name Thy kingdom come, Al dente done, on forks as it is on chopsticks Give us this plate with garlic bread be sure to give us napkins As we give napkins to those who impress us And lead me not to Olive Garden but delivery from Carraba’s. For thine is the garlic, the marinara and the oregano Forever and ever rAmen
Here is the link to the Effingham cross, drove by it yesterday F-ingham Cross
C’mon people,open your eyes! We would be pretty stuck on ourselves to believe WE R the ONLY ones in the GALAXY11 Do we not believe all the supernatural happenings in the bible? Just because it doesnt make sense to us doesnt mean it isn’t. Just like the world being flat, or so we believed until proven. Look people,no B.S. They are here,some good,some bad,but so far advanced you cannot begin to imagine. They portal,change form & size,they can be invisible,small,large,or an object. Do u have neighbors that a few times a day make alot of unusually loud noises? PORTALING! Maybe they just pop up out of no where? They have extremely bright lights? Just grab some banoculars and just watch some of your surroundings. Trees,power poles, wires, Watch lights,ANY lights they move,they turn in your direction ! Believe what u will, I’m just trying to make you aware of what I became VERY much aware of about 5 years ago. I’m not the type to see pink elephants,though I no longer drink. I want to be sober 7 aware 4 this mind blowing stuff1 ALSO,never have I been on meds., I know some of u r thinking maybe I should1 Just open your eyes, 7 think outside your bubble, 7 YOU WILL SEE11
Yup… all those crosses were made by aliens! Or did I get post #7 wrong?
we checked out this place in texas while driving through once. it’s got some seriously scary sculpture there. but i also got one of my favorite, all-time photos there. check this out: http://patriotacts.blogspot.com/2007/04/tgigf.html
the biggest cross in the world is in Macedonia! Milenium cross!
Wow, its cool to see something on here that I’ve seen in person. I’ve seen the cross in Effingham in person (well, passed by it on I-57).
You can see the Effingham cross in Streetview by driving past it on I-57. As someone mentioned before, it’s on the south part of town (were W Pike Ave run meets up with I-57).
If you drive just north of the cross and look back from North lane, it looks like it has a halo above it.
Here’s a link to what I was referring to: View Placemark,,0,-7.940414507772013
I’m proudly affiliated with the Effingham Cross.
It wasn’t intended to build the “largest” or “tallest” anything.
The size was actually dictated by the FAA. Anything over 200 feet high requires a flashing light for airplanes. Because of maintenance concerns (and changing the lightbulb), the cross was designed to be just under the 200 foot mark.
Thanks!
The Biggest Cross in the world is in Macedonia, you can check in Google Earth or Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Cross