The Cruceiro de San Marcos, a traditional cruceiro (Galician granite wayside cross), stands in the forecourt of San Marcos Church in Corcubión, right in the heart of Galicia’s Costa da Morte. It is a must-see for anyone wishing to discover the true character of this small fishing town. As part of the local ethnographic heritage, this monument welcomes residents, pilgrims and visitors with the quiet presence of age-old stone, inviting you to pause for a moment and soak up the atmosphere of the square and the historic quarter around it.
Although its original platform now lies almost buried, the octagonal pedestal is still striking, decorated with skulls and crossed bones, a symbol of Original Sin and of redemption through Christ’s Passion. From this base rises the shaft, circular in section and finely fluted, topped by a cylindrical capital with a smooth astragal, straight abacus and an elegant finish of volutes and floral motifs. As a whole, the cruceiro reads like an open-air stone manuscript and is a fine example of the religious heritage of the Costa da Morte.
The cross itself has a square section, with arms in hollow moulding and florid finials. On the front we see Christ crucified with three nails, his head slightly tilted to the right, wearing the crown of thorns and a loincloth tied on the same side, beneath the INRI inscription. On the back appears the scene of the Pietà, with the Virgin holding Jesus’ body over a small winged angel pedestal. Stopping at this cruceiro is a simple yet powerful way to connect with local spirituality, the history of Corcubión and the deep seafaring identity of the Costa da Morte.
