The San Roque de Melide Cruceiro

Anyone who comes to Galicia for the first time as a pilgrim heading for Santiago de Compostela will see countless large stone crosses. They are known as cruceiros, and are traditionally Galician.

They stand next to roads, crossroads, squares, or in the courtyards of churches. It is estimated that Galicia has between 10,000 and 15,000 cruceiros. Many of them are located along the road to Compostela, marking the route taken by pilgrims.

The base of a cruceiro is a platform, usually with steps, and a pedestal which often bears an inscription with the name of the person who commissioned it, or the year in which it was built. Some of them feature skulls, bones, snakes, and other symbols of death and sin.

The central part is a column which is sometimes decorated with images of saints, or motifs representing the passion of Christ or original sin. Above the column is a capital, often featuring different styles and decorations.

The main element of a cruceiro sits at the very top: the cross. The side facing the main road has an image of Christ crucified, with the Virgin Mary or another saint on the other side.

The composition can vary, with other figures such as angels or saints, or more complex scenes. One example is the cruceiro of O Hío, the largest in Galicia, on whose cross is depicted the un-nailing of Christ.

Cruceiros almost always stand alone, although some are arranged in groups of three crosses, known as calvaries.

Cruceiros began to be built in increasing numbers from the 16th century onward, against the backdrop of the Counter-Reformation that followed the Council of Trent (1545–63), and continued to be built long after.

Cruceiros have several purposes: they mark territorial boundaries, they sanctify places, they protect harvests and livestock, and they commemorate events. Those located along roadsides are there to protect and guide travelers.

They were often funded by people hoping for divine indulgence, either for themselves or their loved ones, as can be seen in the inscriptions at the base of many cruceiros.

The cruceiro is located in the courtyard of the chapel of San Roque, and dates back to the 14th century. It is believed to be the oldest in Galicia, according to Castelao, a writer, artist and important political figure in 20th-century Galicia, in his essay, As Cruces de Pedra na Galiza (1950).

It was probably not originally a cruceiro, but a Gothic cross that may have been part of an altarpiece in the church of St. Peter in Melide, which is no longer there.

The back of the cross depicts Christ in Majesty: he is seated on a throne, crowned and showing the wounds on his hands.