Everyone passionate about travelling has heard about the Christ the Redeemer statue of Rio de Janeiro.
It is one of the city’s most visited attractions, and every year, millions of tourists visit Rio to witness its beauty. However, many facts related to the statue make it more fascinating and interesting.
If you plan a trip to Brazil, visiting Jesus Brazil Statue is a must. James Smith, a travel blogger, has discussed many useful info and tips concerning visiting Christ the Redeemer in his blog Onlybyland. Also, you can learn about other Christ the Redeemer statues worldwide by visiting his blog.
Now let’s review a few fascinating facts about the Jesus statue in Brazil…
Top 7 surprising facts about Christ the Redeemer
1. The statue is placed on the top of the Mountain Corcovado
Mount Corcovado is a part of the Tijuca Forest National Park, a rainforest located within the city’s boundaries.
The statue was strategically placed here to ensure it would be seen from every corner of Rio. After all, the intention of putting the figure was to eliminate godlessness from the hearts of the people of Rio.
2. The statue was a result of Brazilian-French Collaboration
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the city financed the statue. Paul Landowski (a French sculptor) designed the figure, and the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa collaborated with Albert Caquot (a French engineer) to make it. A Romanian artist, Gheorghe Leonida, designed the face of the statue.
3. The construction period of the statue was nine years long
The statue’s construction started in 1922 and was inaugurated in 1931. The figure is made using reinforced concrete. Also, 6 million soapstone tiles are used for the statue.
The arms of the statue stretch 28 meters wide, and the height is 30 meters high. It is the world’s largest art deco statue, weighing almost 635 metric tons.
4. It is being voted as a World Wonder
In 2007, the public voted Christ the Redeemer as one of the World’s New Seven Wonders. There were 21 finalists, but the giant Christ statue of Brazil was selected as a World Wonder.
5. The statue often gets damaged because of the lightning
Certainly, the several lightning rods of the statue divert the strikes, but still, some manage to hit and damage the figure. Right before the 2014 World Cup, lightning hit the statue hard, damaging the back side of the statue’s head and a fingertip.
6. You can tie the knot at Christ the Redeemer
If you are looking for a unique wedding experience, you will be pleased to know that you can marry your love beneath the huge Christ the Redeemer statue of Rio. The Catholic Chapel constructed at the statue’s base is perfect for the ceremony.
7. Escalators take you to the statue
You can reach the Jesus statue of Rio in multiple ways. However, the easiest way is to take a Corcovado train.
Making its way through the forest, the train will take you very close to the statue. Visitors had to climb about 200 steps to reach the statue for years. However, in 2003, escalators and elevators were installed to make the trip easier.
There you go. Surely, these fun facts made visiting Christ the Redeemer statue more interesting for you. Now, without any further delays, start preparing for your trip.
