The statue of Christ the Redeemer is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is on the top of the Corcovado Mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park of Brazil.It is one of the best sights of not just Rio but entire Brazil. The statue’s inaugural was done on October 12, 1931. This date is celebrated with a lot of festivities in Rio as this date is considered to be the “birthday” of the statue of Christ. The statue’s official name is Cristo Redentor.
The statue was first considered in 1921. It was built from funds donated by the local Catholic community. The idea for the statue came to celebrate Brazil’s 100 years of independence. There was a similar idea back in 1859 by a Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss. But, donations were not received to build the statue and later people forgot about it. But this time, it was able to gather more than 2 million reals ($250,000).
There were three options regarding the design of statue. The first design of the statue came from Carlos Oswaldo. His vision was for Christ to be carrying a cross. There were also design ofChrist holding a globe in his hands and standing on a pedestal that was supposed to represent the world. But at the end, the public of Rio finalized the design of open arms. They believed that Christ with open arms would be the best representation of the city. It seems as it is standing tall watching the entire city.
When choosing the site of the statue, Sugarloaf Mountain and the Corcovado Mountain were two major considered location. The Corcovado Mountain has the excellent view of the city of Rio. It was a good bit taller than Sugarloaf Mountain. It made the statue the tallest structure in Rio.
The statue was completed in 1931 but its construction began in 1926. The statue was not sculpted in Brazil mainly due to technological reasons. It was instead sculpted in France. Its sculptor was Paul Landowski. The pieces were made out of soapstone. It was chosen for resisting weather and cracking.The pieces of the stature were then shipped over to Brazil. They were then taken up to the top of the Corcovado Mountain by train and assembled. After construction, the statue became the largest art deco monument in the world.
The statue is currently 86 years old and has gone through several extensive renovations. It was repaired in 1980 and 1990. In 2010, it underwent some cosmetic restoration.
In 2007, the monument was taken as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is an attraction point for tourists visiting Brazil. Transportation is available by means of the electric train or through the mountain road. People go for biking as well as running on the mountain road. There are facilities of parasailing allowing one to get a unique view of the city as well as the statue. One can also go three famous beaches, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon in Rio. There are also other landmarks such as the Jockey Club, the Maracana Stadium, and the Botanical Gardens.
