The Kurutzesantu Museum is a museum located in

Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...

Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, created to house the Kurutziaga Cross, a sculpted Gothic cross believed to date from the 15th–16th centuries AD. The cross has been designated a Historic Artistic Monument.The Kurutzesantu Museum and the Kurutziaga Cross
". Tourist Information Office of Durango. Retrieved 9 November 2014.

Kurutziaga Cross

The Kurutziaga Cross, made of dark sandstone, is high and fully adorned with relief carvings. The lower part of the upright, representing sin and retribution, features the serpent of Eden with a woman's head; above it are scenes of

Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...

and the

fall of man The fall of man, the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God in Christianity, God to a state of guilty disobedience. * * * * ...

. The next section depicts the

Twelve Apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...

. The top portion represents the Redemption, with one side depicting the

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

and child in Paradise and the other depicting the

Crucifixion of Jesus The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consid ...

. The cross's original function and meaning are uncertain. The most prevalent theory is that it was created in atonement for a 15th-century episode of

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

in Durango, inspired by the unorthodox preaching of the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

Alonso de Mella—many of his followers having been

burned to death Death by burning (also known as immolation) is an execution and murder method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a punishment f ...

on the site where the cross would be set up, near the

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

chapel of Vera Cruz. Others, however, favor a connection with a religious brotherhood of Vera Cruz that met in the chapel. Still others believe that the cross may have been erected to mark the boundary of the town.Kurutziaga Cross
. ''Michelin Travel''. Retrieved 9 November 2014.

References

External links

Kurutziaga Cross
Buildings and structures in Biscay Museums in the Basque Country (autonomous community) Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Basque Country (autonomous community) Religious museums in Spain {{Spain-museum-stub