St John's Cross, Iona Abbey

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Dating from the 8th century, St John’s Cross is the finest of all the crosses on the isle. It was dedicated to John the Evangelist, a saint highly respected by the early Church.

The cross once stood outside the west end of the abbey, where a 1970 replica now stands, marking a special place for prayer and pilgrimage. With its distinctive ring to support the arms of the cross, this type of cross is likely to have been developed on Iona in the 700s before being adopted in Ireland.

These fragments are now preserved on display in the Iona Abbey Museum. For information on visiting Iona Abbey, go to our website.

Dimensions: h 5300mm

Rae Project | IONA082