The cross is made of bronze and measures 2.4 m in height and 2.2 m in width. The lower arm and the side arms are 1,05 m and 85 m long respectively.

It commissioned to Arnaldo Pomodoro 5 years ago. Before starting work, the artist had to conduct in-depth analyses of the overall church design and only when an agreement had been reached with the architect, Renzo Piano, the Capuchin Friars and Monsignor Valenziano could he begin to produce a number of different designs.
From the maestro himself, we know that the overall idea underlying his work came to him during the beatification ceremony of the friar from Pietrelcina in St. Peter's square on 2nd May 1999. The sky was filled with fleeting clouds which occasionally broke up to let in some rays of sunshine. This suggested the idea of a cross with different transparent features, rich in jagged elements to suggest nails piercing the skin. As the sunrays flooding the cross from above are reflected by both opaque and smooth surfaces of the bronze from which the cross is made, they are expected to multiply and create magical effects, thereby 'enlightening' the faithful deep in prayer.
At the moment, the casts for the plaster model of the cross are being made at the Fonderia Artistica Battaglia in Milan. The casting technique chosen is the lost-wax process, which takes its name from the fact that the sculpture is made out of wax before being covered in earth; as it is fired, the wax melts and flows out of the runoff holes; as soon as the interior of the cast is empty, it is filled with molten bronze.
This technique dates back to the second half of the 3rd millennium BC and was carried to a level of unparalleled perfection in the works of the great Florentine artist Benvenuto Cellini.