CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE

The monument of Christ the Redeemer, with wide-open arms to bless the city, was inaugurated on October 12, 1931 by President Getúlio Vargas and Cardinal Sebastião Leme.

Made of reinforced concrete and coated with small triangular pieces of soapstone, all its parts were transported to the top by the Corcovado Train. The structure atop the Corcovado Hill stands over 700 meters high and measures the equivalent of a 13-storey building. It was concluded amidst huge difficulties, among them stormy weather and other natural phenomena like winds of great velocity.

To design and monitor the work, the Church hired engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, who utilized the services of artist Carlos Oswald. The Franco-Polish artist Paul Landowski made the statue’s head, and sculptor Margarida Lopes gave the statue the hands, using her own hands as the model. Careful follow-up by the engineer Heitor Levy ensured that the work was concluded without any accident.

Christ Statue seen from Santa Teresa

Christ Statue seen from Urca

Christ Statue seen from the heliport on Dona Marta Belvedere

The huge challenge facing the project team was to give the image the gentleness and serenity of the Creator, whose facial expression would have to transmit majesty and purity despite its immense stature. The project took 10 years to be completed. Despite the risks, not a single accident was recorded during the work.

Constructed mainly from donations from parishioners of Rio de Janeiro, it is one of the most audacious works of Brazilian engineering.

During his trip to Brazil in 1980, Pope John Paul, II visited the Christ the Redeemer Monument and took a ride on the Corcovado Train. From the hilltop, His Holiness blessed the city and the nation. 

Christ Statue seen from Rua Real Grandeza in Botafogo

Christ Statue seen from Rua Pires de Almeida in Laranjeiras 

Christ Statue seen from Rua Barão de Guaratiba on Glória Hillock

Christ Statue seen from a building in Copacabana

Christ Statue seen from Paineiras at sunset

Christ Statue seen from the parking lot on Shopping Leblon

Christ Statue seen from Urca

Christ Statue seen from works in Botafogo

Christ Statue seen from Pasmado Belvedere

Christ Statue seen from São João Batista Cemetery

Christ Statue seen from Livramento Hill

Christ Statue seen from the snack bar on Corcovado Hill

Photos by the blog's editor. Click on the label Corcovado below to see other texts/photos from the Christ Statue. If you are coming to Rio and need a guide for walking tours, please contact the blog's editor (ivokory@gmail.com).