Latin cross


A Latin cross or crux immissa is a type of cross in which the beam sticks above the, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a much longer bottom arm.
If displayed it is called St. Peter's Cross, because he was reputedly executed on this type of cross. When displayed sideways it is called St. Philip's cross for the same reason.

Use in the USA

In the USA, the Latin cross began as a Roman Catholic emblem, being vehemently contested as Satanic by various Protestant denominations in the 19th century, but has since become a universal symbol of Christianity and is now the main representation of the cross for Protestants, too.

Cruciform churches

A Latin cross plan is a floor plan found in many churches and cathedrals. When looked at from above or in plan view it takes the shape of a Latin cross. Such cruciform churches were very common in the West during the Romanesque period. The Latin cross plans have a nave with aisles or chapels, or both, and a transept that forms the arms of the cross. It also has at least one apse that traditionally faces east. Many also have a narthex at the entry.

In computer systems

The glyph has a unicode code point: