Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the second largest Art Deco statue in the world. The statue is 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, including its 9.5 meter (31 feet) pedestal, and 30 metres (98 ft) wide. It weighs 635 tonnes (700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovadomountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed between 1922 and 1931.
Interesting Info about Christ Redeemer
Interesting Info about Christ Redeemer
Name: Christ the Redeemer; O Cristo Redentor
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Southeast Brazil, Brazil
Faith: Christianity
Denomination: Catholic
Category: Colossal Statue
Architecture: Modern
Date: 1922-31
Time to Visit: March to October
Size: Height (with pedestal): 38 m (120 ft)
Width: 30 m (98 ft)
Weight: 635 tons
Patron(s): Catholic Circle of Rio and private donations
Architect: Heitor da Silva Costa; Paul Landowski
Nearest International Airport: Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport
Time required for sightseeing: 1-2 hours
Status: active
Entrance Fee: Free
About Christ the Redeemer
It is the very symbol of Rio, as much as the Potala Palace is the very symbol of Tibet. You have always seen this spectacular statue in movies, books or magazines and have been fascinated by its grandness. However, to see it in front of your eyes is a different sensation altogether. Located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the statue draws tourists from all parts of the world. Witnessing the statue is a remarkable and unforgettable experience for you.
The statue of Christ the Redeemer rises up to a height of 710 meters and weighs 635 tones. It is one of the best monuments in the world. The statue of Christ the Redeemer represents the pose of Christ standing in an outstretched pose with welcoming arms. The statue portrays the vibrancy and liveliness of the city. The statue is located atop a cliff of 700 meters and offers a panoramic view of the entire city. It is made with soapstone and concrete.
The Christ Redeemer statue is an iconic symbol of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The statue was inaugurated on the year 1931 on the day of Our Lady of Aparecida by the President of Brazil. The original design of the statue was made by Brazilian architect Heitor da Silva Costa. The statue was built in the period between 1926 and 1931 and the funding was done through donations.
The statue of Christ Redeemer represents the Christian cross and symbolizes the greatness of Jesus trying to guard the world in his hands. While making a trip to the statue of Christ Redeemer, you must also visit a chapel which is located at the base of the statue. The chapel can accommodate around 150 people and the interior is decorated with scenes from the bible. There are also rich paintings of Christ and Mother Mary. The chapel was consecrated by the archbishop of Rio, Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid in the year 2006. The statue of Christ Redeemer was included among the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
You can easily come to the Christ Redeemer statue. It is located very close to the main city center and can be reached by a number of transport options. The Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport is located close by. Regular train, bus and metro services are also available.
How to reach
By Air: Rio de Janeiro Galeão Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport.
By Rail: Train: Rua Cosme Velho Station.
By Road: Coach: Novo Rio Coach Station
Why it was built
The statue of Christ the Redeemer is located at the top of Corcovado Mountain. The entire monument of statue of Christ the Redeemer is 38m high with the statue accounting for 30m and overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro is one of the tallest statues in the world; the span from finger tip to fingertip is 28m and there is a small chapel housed in the base.
The reason why it was built was to show that Christ loves all. In Portuguese, this iconic monument is known as Cristo Redentor. Christ the Redeemer was designed by a French sculptor by the name of Paul Landowski and a local engineer named Heitor da Silva Costa was chosen to supervise the entire construction. The statue was built not out of steel but from reinforced concrete as that was considered a more suitable material for the cross shaped statue. The external caps of the idol were constructed in soapstone due to the resistance of this material to the extreme time and also due to its malleability.
The statue of Christ the Redeemer can be accessed by the 2.4 meter Corcovado Railway that has the capacity to hold 360 passengers every hour. The trip by rail is approximately 20 minutes and leaves the base each half hour. From the road or the train terminal Christ the Redeemer statue is reached by 222 steps. For those not wishing to make the arduous trek up the mountain, reaching the statue is possible by escalators and elevators.
Christ the Redeemer is one of the tourist attractions that every year attracts to more and more visitors. The best time to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue is late afternoon or evening when you can enjoy the splendour of the setting sun while taking in one of the most important landmarks in the world.
History of Redeemer
The Statue of Christ the Redeemer history starts in the XVIth Century when the Portuguese named the mountain Pináculo da Tentação (The Pinnacle [peak] of Temptation), alluding to the Biblical Mountain. A century passes and the mountain is re-baptized to Corcovado, a name derived from its form, which resembles a hump or hunchback. The next recordings of christ the redeemer history is in 1924 when Dom Pedro personally led the first official expedition to Corcovado Mountain, resulting in the opening of an accessable way up.
Then in 1859 the Vincentian father Pedro Maria Boss arrived Rio de Janeiro and was struck by the mystorious beauty of the corcovado mountain and suggested the the construction of a religous monument in honour of Princess Isabel, which in 1921 gave way for the idea of a great statue of christ viewable by all in the marvelous city of Rio. From 1859 to 1921, Dom Pedro gave his consent for the building of the Corcovado Railroad line between Cosme Velho and Paineiras, which would be an essential part of undertaking the Redentor.
In 1922, on the markation of Brazilian independence and a milepeal in the Statue of Christ the Redeemer history, the work began for fullfilling the ambisious project with the fundamental stone beeing put inplace on the 22.april.After a hard competition, the project by the engineer Heitor da Silva Costa is chosen and in September, a national fundraising campaign for the works is organized.
Finally, in 1927, the construction of the statue begins after models of diverse sizes had been constructed. All calculations were done by Coast Hisses, helped by Pedro Viana and Heitor Levy, which during the years of construction, resided in a shed of wood at the foot of the monument.
Rail Road Inauguration
All the necessary work material and workers who participated in the construction of the Christ statue were transported to Corcovado by the trains from the railroad that links the street Cosme Velha, which today functions as a tourist train to the top. The train was the first in Brasil appointed exclusively to transportation of tourists and also the first train to work by electricity.
Up till today, several reforms have been completed to ensure the quality of O Christo Redentor. Lighting has been added, and the latest renewal of September 2002 is the addition of a panoramic elevator and motorized staircase to ease the difficulty for elderly persons. ( It used to be a hard rise of 220 steps to get to the top )
All the equipment, bought from the Elevators Otis, will be painted in green. They are manufactured in the France and they produce little noise. The elevators are “politically correct”, by the fact that they will not use oils lubricants in the system.
Projects are also underway to renewal of toilets and trashcans and the enlargement of the parking.
Interesting Facts of Christ the Redeemer
- This statue was built in the 1931. Construction started in 1922 and was completed in 1931. It took a span of nine years to complete it.
- The cost of the monument was $250,000.
- This statue is one of the biggest statues in the world.
- It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone.
- It takes about 220 steps to see the statue up close.
- The statue stands 38 metres tall weighs 700 short tons (635 tonnes)
- It is located at Corcovado Mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city.
- The left arm points to the Rio de Janeiro's north zone, the right to the south zone, while the saintly perch offers spectacular views of Ipanema, the Maracana soccer stadium and the Serra do Órgãos mountain range.
- The original design for this statue was made by a man named Oswald. He had designed it to have a globe in one, and standing over a pedestal symbolizing the world. This design was not agreed on.
- Then, the idea of having the statue with wide open arms was made by Heitor da Silva Costa. The idea was further created into form by French sculptor Paul Landowski.
- The reason why it was built was to show that the Christ loves all.
- The reason why it was built with wide open arms is to embrace all that come to him.
- In October 2006, on the statue's 75th anniversary, Archbishop of Rio Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid consecrated a chapel, named for the patron saint of Brazil - Nossa Senhora Aparecida, under the statue. This allows Catholics to hold baptisms and weddings there.
- On July 7, 2007, it was honored as one of the New Seven Wonders Of The World.
Corcovado Mountain
Originally given the biblical name ’Pinaculo da Tentacao’ (Pinnacle of Temptation) by the early Portuguese, its name was later changed to Corcovado because of its resemblance to a hunchback.
Located within the Tijuca Forest National Park and rising more than 2300 feet high, this visibly discernible natural landmark is known world wide as the site of the 100 ft. high Christ the Redeemer statue.Its funicular railroad originally built in 1884 became the mainstay of construction transportation for the building of the statue and continues today serving tourists seeking to admire the eye-popping view from the top. Open daily from 8:30 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. the electrically powered trains shuttle visitors up and down the mountain at a rate of about 360 per hour. But the demand during the peak season often exceeds its capacity and waiting times can extended.
Most visitors will enjoy the comfort and ease of the Corcovado Rack Railway along with the changing scenery of the forest as it tracks its way up to the granite domed pinnacle. But for the more serious adventurer Corcovado is climbable. The south face contains over 50 climbing routes, but beware these are not hiking trails. Experienced, capable, outfitted rock climbers will relish the challenge.
Many visitors to Brazil seek out the unusual, unique, out of the way and off the beaten path experiences not found in your rudimentary tour guide. Commendable as that is, a trip to the top of Corcovado Mountain should not be missed. Regardless of how you get there.
What to See
Cristo Redentor depicts Christ with his arms spread wide in a welcoming gesture, representing his role as redeemer of the world. It stands 120 feet high including the pedestal and is 98 feet wide. Made of concrete and soapstone and sculpted in a modern style, it weighs a total of 635 tons.
Standing on a peak over 2,000 feet high, Christ the Redeemer is famed for itsmagnificent views over the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The small Chapel of Nossa Senhora Aparecida (2006) at the base of the statue hosts weddings, baptisms and Mass on Sundays. There is a cafe near the statue.
Getting There
Christ the Redeemer is located on Corcovado peak (710 m/2329 ft) in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro. The monument is accessible by road and a cog railway (3.8km), which provides fine views along the way. From the parking lot or train terminus, visitors have a choice of 220 steps or a system of elevators to reach the statue. The last train departs from Corcovado at about 6:15pm.
New Seven Wonders of the World - Restoration
On 7 July 2007, Christ the Redeemer was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a list compiled by the Swiss-based The New Open World Corporation. Leading corporate sponsors, including Banco Bradesco and Rede Globo, had lobbied to have the statue voted into the top seven.
Declared a protected monument by the National Heritage Institute, IPHAN, in 2009, the Christ the Redeemer monument underwent restoration work in 1980 before the visit of Pope John Pau II.
More work on the statue and its environs was conducted in 2003 and early 2010. In 2003, a set of escalators, walkways and elevators was installed to facilitate access to the platform surrounding the statue.
The four-month restoration in 2010, carried out by mining company Vale in partnership with the Archdiocese, focused on the statue itself. The statue's internal structure was renovated and its soapstone mosaic covering was restored by removing a crust of fungi and other microorganisms and repairing small cracks. The lightning rods located in the statue’s head and arms were also repaired.
The restoration involved one hundred people and used in excess of 60,000 pieces of stone, taken from the same quarry as the original statue. During the unveiling of the restored statue, it was illuminated with green and yellow lighting in support of the Brazil national football team playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Maintenance work needs to be conducted periodically due to the strong winds and rain to which the statue is exposed.
Nearby Attractions
Flamengo Park - It is the large park in the Flamengo neighbourhood, beside Guanabara Bay.
Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden - It is a magnificent park founded in the early 19th century.
Quinta da Boa Vista - It is the site of the palace used by the emperors of Brazil.
Zoological Garden of Rio de Janeiro - It is located in the Quinta da Boa Vista and is filled with rich flora.
Passeio Público - It is the 18th century Public Garden in central Rio.
Parque Lage - It is an interesting place with woodland, gardens, aquaria and a children's playground.
Christ the Redeemer Galleries
Christ the Redeemer Galleries
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