Cebu – The Cross of Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was the first person to circumnavigate the globe. He visited Cebu in 1521. Part of his mission was to convert the natives. Step one in this process was to stroll ashore and plant into the ground a whopping great cross. Magellan was eventually killed in Cebu, but he had a lot of fun along the way.


This rotunda was built in 1841 to house the cross that Magellan planted in Cebu. Well, that’s the theory. If you read the fine print, the display says that the cross contains pieces of the original cross. Ahuh. So basically, it’s a new cross and you have to trust them when they say the original cross is still inside. Whatever floats your boat.

The area around the rotunda is interesting. It sits outside the cathedral and is a focal point for street kids to try and fleece passing tourists. Their favourite cry is “hello, friend”. Everyone in Cebu is my friend apparently. They were pretty light weight beggars to be honest. They need to hone their technique a lot more. They had all their limbs, looked well fed and went away when I politely asked them to. Amateurs.


Inside the rotunda, is a rather grandiose portrait of the cross being planted. I think it’s very idealized. Everyone looks very impressed and almost have a religious glow about them. In reality, I think the locals would have been more bemused than impressed at the time.

The cross is a handy point of reference. I was wandering a bit aimlessly looking for the cathedral when I spotted the shops and street urchins. That’s always a good sign that there’s a tourist attraction nearby.