Cross of Saint James

Inheraldry, the cross is also called the Santiago cross or the cruz espada (English: sword cross).^[1] It is a charge, or symbol, in the form of a cross. The design combines a cross fitchy or fitchée, one whose lower limb comes to a point, with either a cross fleury,^[2] the arms of which end in fleurs-de-lis, or a cross moline where the ends of the arms are forked and rounded.^[1][3]

Since the early part of the 20th century, the cross has been used as a decorative element on the almond pastry Tarta de Santiago.^[4] A traditional Galician dessert made from ground almonds, the top of the pie is decorated with powdered sugar, masked by an imprint of the cross which gives the dessert its name.^[5]

A red cross on a white field is a common design for a Christian cross. The cross is the symbol of the crucifixion, the white color symbolizing purity, and the red color symbolizes the blood of Christ.^[6] A red Cross of Saint James, with flourished arms and scalloped top, over a field of white was the emblem of the 12th-century Spanish Order of Santiago and Portuguese Military Order of Saint James of the Sword. Both were named after James the Greater.^[2][7]

In Spain, the Order of Santiago, a religious and military order, was founded in the 12th century to protect the pilgrims on the Camino, and to defend Christendom against the Moors then on the Iberian Peninsula.^[8] Knights of the order wore the cross stamped on their standards and white capes.^[9] The Military Order of Saint James of the Sword in Portugal also use the symbol as part of its insignia.^[10]

The three fleurs-de-lis represent the "honor without stain," which is in reference to the character of the Apostles.^[7] The sword is said to represent both the manner of his martyrdom,^[11] as he was beheaded with a sword,^[12] and James' role in the Battle of Clavijo.^[13] In Spain, the cross is also related to James' role at the mythical battle,^[14] wherein the saint appeared to Ramiro I of Asturias after the king prayed to him as the patron saintofGalicia for help leading the army to victory over the Moors.^[15]

• Examples of the cross displayed on the Way of Saint James
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  A pavement marker indicates the route of the Way of St James through Navarrete, La Rioja, Spain
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  St James pilgrim accessories (Note the cross on the shepherd's gourd)
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  Waymark of the Way of St. James (white shell, red cross) in the city center of Zittau, Saxony, Germany.

• Examples of the cross displayed throughout Spain
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  Cross on the façade of Iglesia de Santiago Apóstol, in Málaga
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  Cross on a shell, in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia
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  St. James Cross on the entry gates to a student residence in Valladolid
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  Coat of arms of La Rioja

• Examples of the cross in art
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  Portrait of Prince Alfonso, by Philip Alexius de László, c. 1927 with the cross embroidered on the side of his jacket
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  17th century painting of Saint James, wearing the habit of the Order of Santiago. Painting by unknown artist of the Cuzco School
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  Francisco de Quevedo
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  José Antonio Caballero [es]byGoya

• Oswald, Gert [in German] (1984). Lexikon der Heraldik (in German). Leipzig: VEB Bibliographisches Institut. ISBN 3-411-02149-7.
• Gać, Jan (October 4, 2011). Szlak Francuski Do Santiago De Compostella. Przewodnik Merytoryczny. Wydawnictwo Bernardinum (in Polish). ISBN 978-83-62994-72-4.
• Eifler, Edgar Gustavo (1942). Heráldica (in Portuguese) (IV ed.). Porto Alegre: Editora Globo.

•   Media related to Cross of Saint James at Wikimedia Commons
• "Galician Christian Crosses: Saint James' Cross, Patron Saint of Galicia". galicianflag.com. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
• "The symbolic power of the Way of St. James". Five Sensations. August 25, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.