Latin cross

Latin cross floor plan. Shaded area is the transept

A Latin cross or crux immissa is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam,^[1] with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a much longer bottom arm.^[2]

If displayed upside down it is called St. Peter's Cross, because he was reputedly executed on this type of cross.^[3] When displayed sideways it is called St. Philip's cross for the same reason.^[3]

Use in the USA

In the USA, the Latin cross began as a Roman Catholic emblem, being vehemently contested as Satanic by various Protestant denominations in the 19th century, but has since become a universal symbol of Christianity and is now the main representation of the cross for Protestants, too.^[4]

Cruciform churches

A Latin cross plan is a floor plan found in many churches and cathedrals.^[5] When looked at from above or in plan view it takes the shape of a Latin cross (crux immissa).^[6] Such cruciform churches were very common in the West during the Romanesque period.^[2] The Latin cross plans have a nave with aisles or chapels, or both, and a transept that forms the arms of the cross.^[6] It also has at least one apse that traditionally faces east. Many also have a narthex at the entry.^[6]

In computer systems

The glyph has a unicode code point: U+271D ✝ LATIN CROSS

References

^ Herbert Norris, Church Vestments: Their Origin and Development (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2002), p. 128
^ ^a ^b Curl, James Stevens (2015). cross: Latin. Oxford University Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-19-860678-9. Retrieved 5 May 2020. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^ ^a ^b Joyce Mori, Crosses of Many Cultures (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 1998), p. 32
^ Smith, Ryan K. (2006). Gothic Arches, Latin Crosses: Anti-Catholicism and American Church Designs in the Nineteenth Century. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. pp. 54, 57. ISBN 978-0-8078-5689-5. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
^ St. Peter's in the Vatican, ed. William Tronzo (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), p. 275
^ ^a ^b ^c Lilian H. Zirpolo, Historical Dictionary of Baroque Art and Architecture (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2010), p. 314

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[1] Herbert Norris, Church Vestments: Their Origin and Development (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2002), p. 128

[Curl-2] Curl, James Stevens (2015). cross: Latin. Oxford University Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-19-860678-9. Retrieved 5 May 2020. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

[Mori32-3] Joyce Mori, Crosses of Many Cultures (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 1998), p. 32

[USA-4] Smith, Ryan K. (2006). Gothic Arches, Latin Crosses: Anti-Catholicism and American Church Designs in the Nineteenth Century. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. pp. 54, 57. ISBN 978-0-8078-5689-5. Retrieved 5 May 2020.

[5] St. Peter's in the Vatican, ed. William Tronzo (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), p. 275

[Zirpolo314-6] Lilian H. Zirpolo, Historical Dictionary of Baroque Art and Architecture (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2010), p. 314

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v t e Crosses
In modern use	Alcoraz Anchored/Saint Clement Anuradhapura Archangels Archiepiscopal Armenian Arrow/Barby Balkenkreuz Bolnisi Bottony Branch Bulgarian Cossack Burgundy Byzantine Calvary Camargue Canterbury Catherine wheel Celtic Variant Cercelée Coptic Crosslet Fitchy Crucifix Cruciform halo Double Ethiopian Evangelists Fleury Fitchy Forked Fourchy Fylfot Globus cruciger Archbishop's variant Gnostic Grapevine/Saint Nino Greek Greek Orthodox Huguenot Iron Jeremiah Jerusalem/Crusaders Jerusalem (Kingdom) Latin/Roman Macedonian Maltese Marada Marian Maronite Moline Nordic Novgorod Occitan Order of Christ Papal Patonce Pattée Fitchée Patriarchal Pommy Portate/Saint Gilbert Potent Quadrate Resistance Ringed Russian Russian Orthodox Salem Saltire/Saint Andrew Saint Chad Saint David Saint Florian Saint George Saint James/Santiago Saint John Saint Patrick Saint Peter Saint Philip Saint Piran Saint Thomas Serbian Serbian Orthodox Short Sword Syriac (Eastern) Syriac (Western) Tau/Saint Anthony
Historical	Avellane Aviz Black Blanc croix rouge Brigid Carolingian Chouan Consecration Coptic Coptic (Early) Cross cramponnée Crown Cuthbert's pectoral Engrailed Erminée Gammadion Jewelled Katanga Lazarus Lorraine Neith Nestorian Peñalba Pierced Quarterly Saint Alban Saint Julian Templar Teutonic Order Two-barred Victory Voided
By function	Altar Blessing Conciliation Heraldry Nordic Pisan High Market Mercat Memorial Mission Necklace Pectoral Plague Preaching Processional Lalibela Rood/Triumphal cross Summit Wayside
Christograms, Chrismons	Chi Rho IX monogram Labarum Signum manus Staurogram/Monogrammatic/Tau Rho
See also	Ankh Armenian eternity sign Ichthys Irminsul Kolovrat Lauburu Mjölnir Rose Rota Solomon's knot Scientology Shamrock Shield of the Trinity Sunwheel swastika Sun Swastika Triskelion/Triskele Descriptions in antiquity of the execution cross List of tallest crosses in the world
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Use in the USA

Cruciform churches

In computer systems

See also

See also

References