Located on top of Corcovado Mountain, Christ the redeemer of Rio de Janeiro is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. But it is also one of the most representative icons of Brazil and one of the most visited tourist attractions in the city.
However, this emblematic monument considered a feat of engineering and a source of pride for Brazilians keeps some secrets that few know. Join us to discover what they are and surely you will also be fascinated.
Christ the Redeemer is one of the seven wonders of the world
In 2007, the New Open World Corporation foundation held an online contest to choose the new Seven Wonders of the World. The competition was attended by more than 100 million people who voted for a list of 21 finalists. Resulting in the statue of Christ the Redeemer one of the chosen ones.
The initiative to organize the contest was due to the fact that all the ancient wonders of the world, except the pyramid of Cheops, had been destroyed.
Its construction took nine years to complete.
Christ the Redeemer has been standing for many years, at the top of Corcovado Mountain. But what few know is that its construction took nine years, beginning in 1922 and ending in 1931. This was mainly due to the size of the statue (38 meters) and the difficulties involved in the 710-meter-high Corcovado Mountain. Which was also covered by thick vegetation at the time.
The cost of its construction was 250 thousand US dollars, money that was completely financed by the Catholic Church of Brazil.
Despite being a huge statue of Jesus, it is not the tallest
Although Christ the Redeemer stands around 92 feet tall and stands on a 26-foot pedestal, which gives it even more height. It is not the tallest statue of Jesus in the world, but it is the third. Second only to the Cristo de la Concordia in Bolivia which is 40 meters (131.2 ft) tall and the Cristo Rey in Poland which is 52 meters (170.6 ft).
Christ the Redeemer is in meteorological danger
The fact that the statue sits on top of a large mountain makes it prone to lightning strikes and it is struck several times a year. In 2008, a huge storm damaged his head, eyebrows, and fingers. Later in 2014, lightning struck and broke one of Christ’s fingers.
It is a good example of Art Deco
Christ the Redeemer is the largest Art Deco statue in the world, created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and later built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and French engineer Albert Caquot.
Its original design was very different from what we see today
The Christ the Redeemer that everyone loves and knows today is actually very different from his original design. The initial plan was a large Christ with a globe in one hand and a cross in the other. Although the project organizers originally accepted the design, it later changed to the current statue, arms outstretched.
Christ the Redeemer will darken over time
Over the years, the statue will gradually darken. The light-colored stone was taken from a quarry near the city of Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais, chosen by da Silva Costa, the designer of the Christ. It turns out that stone is difficult to replace because it is in short supply, causing restorers to resort to using different types of stone to repair any damage. The result is that a stone in a darker shade is gradually replacing the light color of the statue.
He was the victim of honest vandals
In 2010, graffiti artists defaced the statue by writing on the surface. The then-mayor declared this act a ‘crime against the nation’, prompting the vandals to turn themselves in to the authorities.
It used to be hard to get to him
After taking the train or van or hiking up the mountain, visitors then had to climb a flight of 220 steps to reach Christ the Redeemer, which was the only access available, even for the elderly or disabled. However, in 2003, much to the relief of all future visitors, an escalator was installed to make it much easier for visitors to ascend.
Christ the Redeemer is full of hidden messages
Christians around the world interpret Christ the Redeemer as a symbol of love and peace. But the statue is believed to be literally full of messages that no one will ever read. According to the BBC, volunteers left personal messages on the soapstone tiles used to clad the outer layer of the statue. Six million soapstone tiles were used to create the exterior of the statue.
There is a chapel at the base
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the monument in 2006, the authorities built a small chapel at its base. So yes, you can get married under Christ the Redeemer. However, there’s limited space inside, and making the slow journey to the top (cog train to elevator to escalator) in full wedding attire may not be everyone’s idea of romance.
What the statue of Christ the Redeemer really represents
There is no doubt that the statue of Christ the Redeemer is one of the most emblematic monuments in the world. What is up for debate is what the statue actually represents with its pose. According to The Washington Post, most people seem to interpret the statues with outstretched arms to symbolize a cross.
That said, there are those who argue that the monument shows Christ reaching out his arms for a hug. This reinforced the fact that Christ embraces and loves everyone. Because of this, millions of people around the world see the statue as a symbol of peace and harmony.
Number of visitors per year
Every year, almost 2 million people visit Christ the Redeemer. The record number of visitors to the statue in a single day was 14,000 during Easter 2011.
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