Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Madrid will leave a tangible and permanent mark on the city’s urban landscape, and it will take the form of a large cross: the mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has announced that the 25-meter-tall religious figure that presided over the Pope’s vigil on June 6 in Plaza de Lima will be preserved as a “permanent testament” to his visit.
The announcement was made on Monday during a reception at the Palacio de Cibeles for the organizations that organized Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to the capital. And according to El País, the request comes from the ultra-conservative organization Hazte Oír, which has collected more than 40,000 signatures to preserve it.
In the mayor’s words, it will bear witness both to “unforgettable days” and to “the Christian roots of Madrid and Madrid society.” For now, the Madrid City Council is considering its location: the intention is to keep it in the same plaza, something that preliminary studies indicate would be possible, but it has not been confirmed that this will be its final location.
The Pope’s venues during his visit to Madrid
The one in Plaza de Lima was one of six settings designed by architects Concha Sánchez Maíllo and Cristina del Río Villegas of CC Arquitectos for the pontiff’s visit to the city of Madrid.
For the vigil with young people, held in this area between Chamartín and Tetuán, they opted for a stage created specifically for the occasion, designed as an urban amphitheater that took advantage of the natural topography of the Castellana.
This large cross, over 20 meters tall, was positioned on one side of the stage, presiding over the event—which, by the way, was attended by some 500,000 people according to data from the Government Delegation.
