Tra Cel a Tera by Tre Martelli

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Photograph 58. — Column of the “chi” in Holy Cross Church, Segovia.

The so-called Column of the “chi” is found in the church of the Holy Cross, one of the two churches named in the jurisdiction of the Convent of San Juan de Duero.

The column, which has a shape easily recognizable by its circular base and capital and its central smooth quadrangular body, is adorned on two of them with incised designs: on one face a “chi” with two bars which intersect at right angles, and on one of the lateral sides a cross with a bit truncated arms in the style called “batavian” in the international art museums.

The stone has a length of about 1.20 m.

These carved designs are the same as those represented in many rock art painted figures in the territory of Burgos, La Rioja and Soria, generally in the same form: the “chi” or rosette and the “batavian” cross. The importance of this column lies in the artistic and symbolic verification that it provides, proving that these Christian signs were in use among the ancient Christians of the vicinity.

As for the column itself, there are no data to designate the christian date or the period of its works. It is possible that it has dates of the eleventh century, since this type of ornamentation is known in some architectural elements from that time. But it could belong to a later period, up to the fourteenth or fifteenth century.

This must be taken into account in studies of medieval art and also in the study of our ancient Christian beliefs.