Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janiero
Rio de Janiero (River of January in English) is the second largest city of Brazil. Among the cities in Brazil, Rio gets the most number of tourist visits every year because of its abundance in wonderful tourist attractions and one of those tourist attractions is the "Christ The Redeemer". The statue is considered to be the largest Art Deco statue in the world. Below are the 10 facts you should know about the magnificent statue.- Build between 1922 and 1931, the Christ the Redeemer has become the symbol of Christianity in Rio and Brazil. The budget for construction clocked at $250,000.
- Christ the Redeemer also symbolizes freedom, blessing and protection.
- The idea was suggested by Princess Isabel but the idea was dismissed in 1889. Years passed by and the Catholic Circle of Rio organized another proposal in 1921. Among the designs, the statue with open arms on a pedestal was chosen.
- The outer layers of the monument were built from high-quality soapstone.
- It is located at the Peak of Corcovado Mountain in Tijuca Forest National Park and is referred to as the World’s Largest Art Deco-- standing at 130 feet and weighs 635 tons.
- Heitor da Silva Costa was the local engineer of the monument and it was originally sculptured by Paul Landowski.
- Christ the Redeemer was inaugurated in October 12, 1931 and welcomed numerous tourists around the world.
- Christ the Redeemer has officially joined the list of New Seven Wold’s Wonders in July 7, 2007 along with Giza Pyramid Complex in Cairo, Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico, Colosseum in Rome Italy, Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu in Cuzco, Peru, Petra in Jordan and Taj Mahal in Agra, India.
- On February 10, 2008, the monument suffered a damage caused by thunders and lightning. Restoration effort was immediately put into place, especially in the statue’s head and arms.
- Getting to Christ the Redeemer is easy. Once you’re in Rio de Janeiro, simply go to Cosme Velho District, specifically the Rua Cosme Velho 513. This is the place where you are going to buy tickets for train. This train takes you through the Atlantic Rainforest up to the statue’s foot.