In our review of the most representative monuments in the world today we stop at the Christ the Redeemer of Brazil with History and Curiosities one of the symbols of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. A monument that is always on the list of wonders of the world.
Christ the redeemer
The Christ the Redeemer or Christ of Corcovado It is one of the great emblems of the city of Rio de Janeiro. We have all seen the famous images of the city, in which Christ the Redeemer dominates the city from the heights of Mount Corcovado, seeming to welcome and protect all its inhabitants.
Christ the Redeemer was opened in 1931 after works that lasted a total of 5 years. Its location in the city is privileged, on top of the Tijuca National Park, 710 meters above sea level, from where it has a privileged view of the city.
It is a construction made of reinforced concrete, with a weight that exceeds the 1,000 tons and that has an important achievement to its credit: no worker died during the 5 years that its construction lasted, something really remarkable at the time. It must be said that the idea of creating a religious monument on the Corcovado mountain had already been proposed since the mid-19th century. In fact, the Corcovado hill was already an important tourist spot in Rio de Janeiro before the construction of Christ the Redeemer.
There are things that many people do not know about Christ the Redeemer. For example, it was not built in Brazil but in France. The statue was made and transported in numerous concrete blocks (the head alone is made up of more than 50 pieces). In addition, it was mounted in a way contrary to what one might think, that is, instead of starting with the feet, it started with the head, in the opposite direction.
It should also be noted that the statue is completely hollow, except for the hands, and that the only part of the Christ that has a completely realistic appearance is the heart. In addition, inside the heart there is a bottle with the entire family tree of the person responsible for the work, as a way of demonstrating the dedication of the artist and his entire family to the construction of the monument.
Who built the Christ the Redeemer
Creating a religious image on top of the Corcovado hill in Brazil was born many years ago before it could be carried out. It was the religious Pedro María Boss who shared such an idea with Princess Isabel of Portugal, who supported him in her proposal. We are in the year 1859.
Despite this, it would not be until 1921 when the idea began to be considered as a possibility of actually carrying it out. At that time, it was seen as the possibility of celebrating the centenary of Brazilian independence, which caused its construction to really begin in 1926.
This impressive statue was made by Paul Landowskia French sculptor, while the face of it is a work of Gheorghe Leonidaa Romanian sculptor who was included in such a work by Landowski himself, after the numerous awards he had received for his work.
What does Christ the Redeemer represent?
Christ the Redeemer, also known as Christ of Corcovadois a statue of Jesus of Nazareth that stands on a pedestal of 8 meters and reaches a height of 30.1 meters.
This statue of Jesus with open arms shows the city of Rio de Janeiro. Even so, this is not the only meaning that has been given to this statue and, over time, new symbols and translations of it are still being created.
There has been talk of a statue that represents a welcome to all those who come to Rio de Janeiro, there is no better sign than open arms ready to receive affectionately.
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On the other hand, there is also talk -from a religious point of view- of a symbol of forgiveness, a Christ who redeems sins.
Another of the meanings given to this Christ the Redeemer is as a symbol of cordiality and welcome of the human being, not only of the Brazilians.
Curiosities of Christ the Redeemer
Did you know that originally, where Christ the Redeemer is today, it was known as the Peak of Temptation? Today it is known as Corcovado (because of its shape similar to a hump) but, with the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, it was initially known as Pico da Tentação because it recalled the passage in the Bible where the mountain where Jesus Christ was tempted
Taking into account all of the above that we have told you, it may surprise you to discover that the train that goes to the top It was created and inaugurated much earlier, specifically, in 1884. Thanks to the tracks of this train, and its operation, it was much easier to climb all the pieces of the sculpture to the top.
A contest was held to select which was the Christ that they wanted to build on this top. Although there was a winner, the Christ the Redeemer that we can visit today in Rio de Janeiro has nothing to do with the winning design. Carlos Oswal was the winner and designed a Christ that held in each hand a cross and the worldas you can see in the photographs, these two elements are missing.
A curious fact is that the two arms are not the same, the left one is 40 cm smaller than the right one. This is not due to a calculation error but rather it is built like the sails of a ship so that it can withstand up to 150 km/hour.
And, something that has always surprised me, did you know that was built in France? Later, she was transferred to Rio in pieces.
Other names of Christ the Redeemer
Recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, this gigantic statue of Jesus Christ is known as Christ the Redeemer. But it is also popularly known as Cristo del Corcovado, in reference to the mount on which the monument is located, an emblematic hill in Brazil.
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Where is Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer is in the top of Corcovado Hill, in Rio de Janeiro and just 710 meters above sea level. This place, Monte del Corcovado, was finally chosen among other options such as Pão de Açúcar and Monte de San Antonio. But the Corcovado is higher up and precisely this detail is what made the Catholic Circle of Rio de Janeiro prefer it to place this colossal monument.
The decision was more than correct, since the objective of this Christ the Redeemer was to appear to be protecting the city. In fact, his design is strategic, let’s look at his face looking down and to the left as if he is looking at the town. As well as his arms extended in a pose of protecting those who are under him.
It is an ideal place for tourists who can enjoy spectacular views from the top of the hill. Well, from the top you can see wonderful places such as the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, the Botanical Garden, the beaches of Ipanema and Leblon, the Jockey Club and you can even see the Tijuca Park. If we go to the opposite side, that is, to the north, we have Botafogo, Copacabana, Flamengo and Guanabara Bay. Also to the north we can see the Monte de Pão de Açúcar. These wonderful views are completed by the Atlantic Ocean and the impressive Maracana Stadiuma paradise for the most football fans.
Not only the views have their charm, but also the place itself and its access to it, since it is accessed by a train that runs through the area from the Tijuca National Park.
How tall is Christ the Redeemer?
Christ the Redeemer is quite a colossus, since it measures no less than 38 meters high and weighs about 1200 tons. Without a doubt, one of the largest monuments that exist in the world, adding to this an equally gigantic figure, the height from which it looks at humanity, at 710 meters above sea level.
But let’s see in more detail how tall Christ the Redeemer is because you will be surprised. Let’s start with the arms, which measure no less than 88 square meters. Each foot reaches 1.35 meters and the body exceeds 38 meters. But it is that nothing more than the head of Christ weighs 30 tons. Hard to imagine, right? Well, imagine seeing it in situ.
To make it easier for you if your imagination is not enough for you, we will tell you that the height of Christ the Redeemer is the equivalent, for example, to what we can find in a building that has about 13 floors. But remember, we are only talking about the height of the Christ, and this is placed at 700 meters high.
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