Christ to Redeemer: Rio’s Cultural Icon

Sitting at the peak of the Corcovado mountain, overlooking Rio de Janeiro, stands a Brazilian cultural icon that is regarded as one of the seven New Wonders of the World.

Known as Christ the Redeemer, the statue is the largest Art Deco style sculpture in the world and is a  a symbol of Christianity around the world.

Constructed between 1922 and 1931, the statue weighs 700 tons and  is 30 metres high, excluding its 8-metre pedestal. The arms stretch 28 metres  wide. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone.

Christ The Redeemer differs considerably from its original design, as the initial plan was a large Christ with a globe in one hand and a cross in the other. Although the project organisers originally accepted the design, it later changed to the statue of today, with the arms spread out wide.

The statue was created by French-Polish sculptor Paul Landowski and built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with French engineer Albert Caquot. Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida sculpted the face.

Destination – Brazil