Explore Slovene Museum of Christianity
Our museum has a collection of over 200 Christian crosses. Christian crosses are one of the most widespread symbols of Christianity and can come in a variety of different shapes (Greek cross, St. Andrew's cross, Latin cross, the Cross of Caravaca, Papal cross, etc.). They can also be differentiated according to their type (pectoral, missionary, abbot, reliquary, processional, tomb, standing or table cross, etc). The oldest example in our collection is the forged reliquary cross which was made in 1681.
The procession cross with the motives of Jesus Crucified, God the Father on the top, St. Aloysius? on the left, St. Rocus on the right and below the motive of the Sorrowful Mother of God. On the other side there are motives: St. Hubert? and four Evangelists. The cross is decorated with eight octagonal glasses on one side and on the other.
A silver pectorale (pectoral cross) of the Stična abbot of Gerard Maier, designed by Wilhelm Rauscher in Fulda (Germany). The surface is decorated with embossed and filigree precisely made decorations from plant vitices and balls. Six precious stones are embroidered on the front side of the cross. There is a relic space (at present missing) at the rear side of the cross.
A brass reliquary cross with a corpus. In the lower part of the cross there is a hole in which there is a tiny roll with a relic.
Wooden, table cross with the representation of Calvary. Under the cross there is the book on which the figures of Mary and St. John are standing.
Metal reliquary cross. The corpus is attached to the wooden base, which is inserted in the metal upper cross. Inside of the cross are relics of St. Sara, St. Ulrich, St. Sabina and St. Peter. Few relics are missing.
Copper made Caravaca cross (also called Lorraine or Spanish cross). A cross with two bars and letters or shorter notes which are supposed to protect the owner against diseases and plagues. They were also used for good harvests. On one side is a variant of the Zacharius' veil (blessing), consisting of eighteen letters. This kind of inscription on the crosses began to appear in the middle of the 17th century. Each cross and letter represent the entire sentence, sometimes also passages from the Psalms and Gospels. The cross also contains so called Benedict's blessing. According to tradition, it should keep the believers save against of all demons and illnesses.
A wooden cross with a corpus on a rectangular base in the form of a book. Glass bell is missing.
Cross with a corpus and a printed image of St. Francis Xavier under the foothills. The plate is placed on a three-piece base, decorated with wooden tears on each side. The cross is decorated with sample glass and decorative paper.
Bronze made altar cross from the second quarter of the 18th century. On the backside there is an engraved inscription of the donor Count Anton Kolowrata.
Reliquary with the shape of the cross are found in several functions: as processional crosses, altar crosses or standing crosses. There are 10 relics in the cross. They have no inscriptions.
Wooden, black cross (crucifix) with silver ornaments and corpus. Supposedly it is a funeral cross for steams or an altar cross at a funeral mass. A relief of Mary with a pierced heart is depicted under the cross. Beneath it is a deadhead with crossbones. The base has a metal base.