Christ the Redeemer, Corcovado, Alto da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
The iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is considered to be the largest Art Deco statue and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. A symbol of Brazilian Christianity, the 700-ton statue is 39.6-meters (130 ft.) tall including its 9.5-meter (31 ft.) pedestal. Located at the peak of the 700-meter (2,300 ft.) Corcovado Mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park, the statue is an incredible presence overlooking Rio de Janeiro below and one of the busiest tourist spots in the city attracting over 600,000 visitors per year.
Originally proposed in 1889, the statue was rejected by Princess Isabel because of laws in place that separated church and state when Brazil became a republic. The Catholic Archdiocese brought forward a second proposal for the statue in 1921.
The original concept was to have a figure of Christ holding a globe that represented Earth; this was rejected in favor of the final design that includes the statue as seen now, with open arms. Constructed between 1922 and 1931, French artist, Paul Landowski created the monument along with an engineering team lead by Heltor da Silva. The structure of the monument consisted of reinforced concrete with an outer layer of soapstone brought in from Limhamn in Malmo, Sweden.
The soapstone exterior gives the statue its distinctive appearance while also providing durability in Brazil’s extreme weather conditions. Upon its completion, Brazilian President, Getulio Dornelles Vargas inaugurated the Christ the Redeemer Statue in a grand ceremony on October 12, 1932.
As a testament to the significance of the statue, on July 7, 2007 at a ceremony in the Luz Stadium in Lisbon Portugal, the “Christ the Redeemer” statue was named one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” by the Swiss based, the New Open World Corporation. As one of the main tourist attractions in Brazil, millions of visitors have been impressed with the breathtaking panoramic views from the landmark.
Almost every major Rio attraction can be seen from the monument including, Sugar Loaf Mountain, the Guanabara Bay, the Lagoon and the beautiful landscape of Rio and its incredible beaches far below on the majestic Atlantic Ocean. The iconic Christ the Redeemer statue has overlooked Rio de Janeiro for over 80 years and in that time, has become a symbol for the city and the nation of Brazil around the world.
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