Statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro: description with photo, history of creation, height, location, how to get there, tips and recommendations from tourists

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer is one of the largest, and definitely the most famous statue of all that embodied the image of the Son of God. The main symbol of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in general, the statue of Christ the Redeemer has attracted a huge number of pilgrims and tourists for many years. And the statue of Jesus Christ in Brazil is included in the list of the seven wonders of the world of our time.

The appearance of the statue

The reinforced concrete statue of Christ towering over Rio de Janeiro was made according to the classical technology of that time: inside the frame is made of inexpensive materials, outside - some kind of sculptural stone, in this case - soapstone. The height of the statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer is thirty meters. Another eight meters is the pedestal. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the largest statue of Jesus Christ - it is 14 meters lower than the total height of the Polish statue of Christ the King, and twohalf a meter below the Bolivian sculpture Cristo de la Concordia.

The main distinguishing feature of the statue is its widely outstretched arms - upon closer examination, Christ the Redeemer blesses the city, looking at it, slightly tilting his head. But from afar, the sculpture takes the form of a huge cross - the main symbol of redemption and Christianity. The famous span of the hands of the Redeemer reaches 28 meters - a length almost equal to the height of the sculpture without a pedestal. The appearance of Christ is classical, adopted in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions - a thin, slightly elongated face with protruding cheekbones, long hair, and a beard. Jesus is dressed in a Jewish chiton, with pieces of fabric thrown over his shoulders.

History of Creation

The idea to build a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, then the capital of Brazil, came to the local government in 1921 - a year before the centenary of the Brazilian National Independence. The end of the 19th century gave the world several state symbols - in 1886 the Statue of Liberty was opened in the USA, and in 1889 - the Eiffel Tower in France. The Brazilians also dreamed of their own outstanding monument for a long time, but there was not enough public funds for this. But the centenary of the independent state of Brazil united members of the government, and ordinary residents, and ministers of the church - money for the construction was collected during the year, under a special subscription to the Cruzeiro magazine.

The collected amount was two and a halfmillion miles and was immediately sent to France - it was there that the details of the statue were to be made. Since 1923, individual parts of the Redeemer were delivered to Rio de Janeiro by rail, and then, with the help of an electric train, they climbed Mount Corcovado, the construction site chosen through a survey of the same Cruzeiro magazine.

The construction of the statue of Jesus Christ continued for nine years - the grand opening took place on October 12, 1931, on the same day the sculpture was officially consecrated.

Project authors

The Brazilian sculptor Carlos Oswald developed a general view of the future monument back in 1921 - even then Jesus stood with outstretched arms like a cross, slightly bowing his head, but instead of the usual pedestal under his feet, according to the sketch, the globe should have been located. The sketch was approved, but during the further processing of the project, this idea had to be abandoned - the ball under the sculpture weighing 600 tons, located on the mountain, seemed very unstable and short-lived. The final look of the future statue of Jesus Christ was developed by the famous Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa - it was his project that was eventually sent to the French. In the photo below, Silva Costa with a miniature of the future statue.

In France, more than 50 architects, sculptors and engineers worked on the details of the statue. The head and hands of Christ were modeled by the famous Parisian sculptor Paul Landowsky - it took a year, and then, infor another six years, according to the created models, the head was made by Gheorghe Leonid, a sculptor of Romanian origin. The final facing of the statue was carried out by Carlos Oswald - the same author of the first drawing of the future statue.

Exact location of the monument

The most accurate answer to the question of where the statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer is located is the address of the monument. In the official guide to Rio de Janeiro, it sounds like this: Tijuca National Park, Alto da Boa Vista village, Mount Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, in any navigator, it is enough to write the name of the statue - this object is too famous not to be found.

The Path to the Redeemer

There are several ways to get to the statue - when coming to Rio for the first time, many go to the monument along the freeway by car or public transport. This method is fast, but not very interesting. Experienced tourists recommend going up to the statue of the Redeemer by electric train - the first in Brazil and the very one with which the details of the future sculpture were delivered to Corcovada almost a hundred years ago. This path, although it will take a little longer, will certainly leave an unforgettable impression thanks to the picturesque landscapes and a leisurely ascent to the highest point of Rio de Janeiro, where the statue of Jesus Christ is located. Since 2003, the ascent to the observation deck has been equipped with escalators - so now tourists with any physical abilities can climb to the Redeemer.

Church attitude

Brazil's main monument isnot only an architectural monument and a lure for tourists, it is an important religious site for both the believing inhabitants of Brazil and Christians around the world. In addition to the very first consecration, on the opening day in 1931, the statue of Jesus Christ was re-consecrated in 1965 by Pope Paul VI himself, who came to Rio specifically for this. In 1981, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the sculpture, it was again unofficially consecrated by Pope John Paul II, who came to the feast.

In 2007, priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, who arrived in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the friendly Days of Russia in Latin America, held a divine service near the statue of Jesus Christ. In 2016, the servants of the Russian Orthodox Church again arrived at the foot of the statue of the Redeemer, where Patriarch Kirill performed a prayer service in memory of persecuted Christians.

Interesting facts

Regularly - according to meteorologists, at least four times a year - lightning strikes the statue of the Redeemer. This is not surprising, since the head of Christ is the highest point in Rio de Janeiro and a kind of lightning rod. Unfortunately, lightning often leaves damage after being struck, but the representatives of the Brazilian Catholic Church are enterprising people, and since the moment of construction they have kept a huge stock of unused soapstone, which is constantly involved in cosmetic restoration, without distorting the overall appearance of the monument.

But not only nature encroaches on the beauty of the sculpture - in 2010 on the statueChrist the Redeemer was attacked by vandals. Unknown people stained the face and hands of the monument with black paint and inscriptions. Fortunately, these outrages were instantly removed, and since then security guards and a video surveillance system have been installed regularly around the statue.