The Cross of the Order of Christ (

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: ''Cruz da Ordem de Cristo''), also known as the Cross of Christ (''Cruz de Cristo'') or the Portuguese Cross (''Cruz Portuguesa''), is a

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

symbol of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, originating in the Portuguese Order of Christ, founded in 1319. During the time of

Prince Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...

, the cross came to be associated with the Portuguese discoveries and the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the ...

. The cross can be considered a variant of the

cross pattée A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...

or the

cross potent A cross potent (plural: crosses potent), also known as a crutch cross, is a form of heraldic cross with crossbars at the four ends. In French, it is known as '' croix potencée'', in German as a ''Kruckenkreuz'', all translating to "crutch cross ...

History

As the Order of Christ, led by Prince Henry, the Navigator, was a leading developer of the Portuguese Discoveries, the Cross of Christ was used on the sails of the Portuguese

caravel The caravel (Portuguese: , ) is a small maneuverable sailing ship used in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave it speed and the capacity for sailing win ...

s, carracks and other ships involved in the exploration of the seas. Because of this, the emblem was forever associated with the Portuguese discoveries, making it one of the main symbols of the discoveries and of the

. After, Manuel,

duke of Beja Duke of Beja ( pt, Duque de Beja) was an aristocratic Portuguese title and royal dukedom, associated with the Portuguese Royal House. List of the Dukes of Beja # Infante Fernando, 2nd Duke of Viseu (1433–1470), King Duarte I's third son (se ...

and governor of the Order of Christ, having become King of Portugal, the Cross of Christ came to be regarded and used as a national emblem of

. It has since become a generic Portuguese and, later, Brazilian emblem. After

Pedro Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for '' Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, mean ...

declared the independence of Brazil, and became

Emperor of Brazil The monarchs of Brazil ( Portuguese: ''monarcas do Brasil'') were the imperial heads of state and hereditary rulers of Brazil from the House of Braganza that reigned from the creation of the Brazilian monarchy in 1815 as a constituent kingdom o ...

, the Cross of Christ was also present in the coat of arms and flag of the former

Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and (until 1828) Uruguay. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom ...

. Since 1789, the Cross of Christ is depicted on the

Sash of the Three Orders The Sash of the Three Orders ( pt, Banda das Três Ordens, or ''Banda da Grã-Cruz das Três Ordens'') is a decoration that combines the insignia of the Grand Crosses of the Military Orders of Christ, Aviz and St. James of the Sword. It is the ...

. It was also the symbol of the Movimento Nacional-Sindicalista, a Portuguese political movement of the early 1930s.

Usage

Today, the Cross of Christ is present in many flags and emblems of Portugal and Brazil. Examples are the flags of the

city of São Paulo A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and the Portuguese

Autonomous Region of Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

, the coat of arms of several Portuguese and Brazilian cities and municipalities, the badges of the

and

Brazil national football team The Brazil national football team ( pt, Seleção Brasileira de Futebol), nicknamed ''Seleção Canarinho'' (‘Canary Squad’, after their bright yellow jersey), represents Brazil in men's international football and is administered by the B ...

s and the

roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of diff ...

s of the Portuguese Air Force aircraft.

Gallery

Historical examples

Contemporary examples

File:Roundel of Portugal.svg, File:Brasao ba1.png, File:São Paulo City flag.svg, File:Flag_of_Madeira.svg, File:Marinha de Portugal (Command).svg, File:Bandeira_Cananeia_SaoPaulo_Brasil.svg, File:Bandeiradecapim.png, File:4bavex.svg, File:Brasão de Armas do Comando Regional da MADEIRA da PSP.png, File:Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa.png, File:Brasão_de_Porto_Alegre.svg, File:Brasão de Alterosa - MG.svg, File:BrasaoBatatais.svg, File:Brasão de Florianópolis.png, File:Brasão de Joinville.svg, File:Coat of arms of the Azores.svg, File:FZZ.png, File:IDN.png, File:ESP-guetim.png, File:MGD.png, File:OAZ.png, File:FZZ-paiomendes.png, File:BCL-paradela.png, File:PNF.png, File:PBL1.png, File:TMR.png, File:VLR.png, File:COA of Vila do Bispo municipality (Portugal).png,

References