Cruz del Avila, Illuminated cross on El Avila Mountain, Caracas, Venezuela
The Cruz del Avila is a 37-meter tall steel cross measuring 18 meters in width that stands on El Avila Mountain high above Caracas and can be seen from numerous vantage points throughout the city. The structure consists of galvanized iron and operates on electrical illumination.
Engineer Ottomar Pfersdorff started the cross project in 1963 using makeshift light displays at the Hotel Humboldt before moving toward a permanent installation. The monument was repositioned several times over the following years until it was finally placed in its current fixed location in 1982.
The cross glows during the Christmas season from December through early January, becoming a visual symbol that shapes how residents experience the holidays in the city. This annual illumination marks a shared moment in the local calendar that brings the whole city together.
The cross sits at approximately 1,530 meters (5,000 feet) of elevation on the mountain and remains visible from many locations across the city. The best views usually come from higher areas of Caracas, especially once darkness falls and the lights are activated.
The cross started as a makeshift light display using curtains from a mountain hotel before becoming a permanent steel structure. This evolution from a temporary experiment to an enduring city symbol shows how an improvised idea eventually became deeply rooted in local life.
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