Brazil’s iconic statues

Brazil’s iconic statue: Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

The Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro is a large Art Deco-style statue of Jesus Christ located on Monte Cristo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the city's symbol and one of the most famous memorial sculptures in the world. Completed in 1931, it has a total height of 38 meters and a huge volume, weighing 1,145 tons. The distance between the fingers of the left and right hands reaches 23 meters.

The Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro was designed by French monument sculptor Paul Landowski, and local engineer Heto da Silva Cosca supervised its construction. A team of engineers and technicians studied Landowski's design and decided to replace steel with reinforced concrete to better suit the cross-shaped statue.

Koska and Landowski decided to use soapstone as the outer material for the statue because of its flexibility and ability to withstand harsh weather. Rio de Janeiro also built a railway up Corcovado Mountain to transport the large stones needed to build the statue to the top of the mountain.

On October 12, 1931, a grand inauguration ceremony was held on Corcovado Mountain. Brazilian President Vargas cut the ribbon for the statue. On October 12, 2006, at the 75th anniversary celebration of the inauguration of the statue. Cardinal Archbishop Eusebio Oscar Scheid of Rio de Janeiro celebrated Mass under the statue for the Day of the Apparitions. This makes this statue of Christ a pilgrimage site.