THE ICONIC Coventry Cross was officially unveiled last week at its new city centre home in front of Holy Trinity church.
The official unveiling was attended by several Coventry councillors, local artist and sculptor George Wagstaffe and a medieval performer to represent the time the original cross was created.
The 60-foot cross was based on the 1976 replica of the 16th-century monument.
It links the city’s history to the era of King Henry VI when it was a vibrant medieval market town.
The cross has 33 statues of animals, angels, saints and kings, as well as the original crown from the 1976 replica placed at the top.
New features include stained glass windows which tell the history of the medieval cross as well as a 3D-printed sculpture of King Henry VI.
The sculpture is a replica of the original King Henry VI statue, which is now on display in the Herbert Museum.
Records show the original Coventry Cross was in the city as early as the 1300s.
In 1441 work started on building a new cross that stood for 200 years, but by 1771 it was taken down after part had been removed to avoid its collapse.
The modern Coventry Cross was suggested in the 1930s but the delay meant it wasn’t built for another 40 years.
It was finally unveiled on St George’s Day in April 1976 and stood next to Holy Trinity Church, just 100 metres away from the original site of the old cross.
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