Christ the Redeemer Statue atop Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Christ the Redeemer Statue is one of the most iconic images of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. Cristo Redentor (as it is called in Portuguese) is an architecture wonder, a tourist attraction, a religious symbol, a Rio de Janeiro’s landmark.
There are dozens of curiosities, fun and interesting facts about Christ the Redeemer Statue. Here are 11 of them:
1. Corcovado Without the Statue
People had been going to the summit of Corcovado Mountain way before the statue was built. In fact, a railway was inaugurated in 1884 with the purpose of taking visitors to the top of the mountain to enjoy the vistas over Rio de Janeiro. Christ the Redeemer statue construction started only in 1926 — more than 40 years later. The Corcovado summit is at 710 meters (2,328 feet) above sea level.
Sunset behind Corcovado Mountain
2. Whose Idea Was the Statue?
The French priest Pierre-Marie Bos had the idea. Although he lived in Rio de Janeiro most of his life, he died several years before the statue began being built.
Christ Statue seen from helicopter
3. Why was Christ the Redeemer Built?
The statue was built to celebrate the 100 years anniversary of independence of Brazil from Portugal.
Cloud on the way to cover Christ the Redeemer Statue
4. How Long Did It Take to Build?
It took 5 years to build the Statue of Christ the Redeemer (from 1926 to 1931). Despite the safety conditions of the construction site at that time, none of the hundreds of workers died or was severely injured. At that time it was considered that Christ himself blessed the construction.
Christ the Redeemer Statue construction
5. The Statue was Not a Gift
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France, but not Christ the Redeemer Statue. However, the head and the hands were sculptured in France by Paul Landowski, who has never been to Rio de Janeiro to see the statue from close.
Close-up of Christ Statue’s head
6. Christ Statue’s Renovation
The statue is renovated every few years, as it is exposed to sun, wind, rain, dust, and lighting. The last renovation, which took three months, was in 2010. Visitors could go up to the top of Corcovado Mountain, but the statue was enclosed in scaffoldings during most of the renovation period.
Renovation of Christ the Redeemer Statue in 2010
7. Small Triangles Cover the Statue
The statue is hollow, made of reinforced concrete, and covered with thousands of small triangles of soapstones, which are usually damaged by lighting along the years. In fact, despite the lightning rods, the Statue of Christ the Redeemer is hit by lightnings several times per month in the summer.
Small triangles of soupstone cover the whole Christ the Redeemer Statue
8. Getting Married Underneath Christ
Dozens of couples get married and several babies get baptized every year in the small chapel inside the pedestal underneath Christ the Redeemer Statue.
Chapel underneath Christ the Redeemer Statue
9. Visitors can NOT go inside the statue
Christ the Redeemer Statue is hollow inside; there is a staircase inside all the way up to the chest. At chest level, there are two tunnels, one into the left arm and another one into the right arm. Maintenance workers are the ones who go inside the statue most frequently. Visitors can not go inside the statue.
Visitors near Christ the Redeemer Statue
10. Christ is Often Covered by Clouds
Tens of thousands of tourists every year get to the summit of Corcovado Mountain to see the statue, but see nothing but clouds. A cloud cover may prevent you from seeing Christ the Redeemer Statue right in front of you! Besides, depending on the density of the cloud you may not see Rio de Janeiro either.
Despite being close to the statue, you may barely see it. The visibility can be worse than that.
11. The Redeemer Statue WAS the tallest…
Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro was the tallest in the world when it was built in 1931. Since then many other Jesus statues have been built. Nowadays (2013), there are two other statues of Christ bigger than Christ the Redeemer statue, which are Christ of Peace (Cochabamba, Bolívia) only 2 meters higher and Christ the King (Swiebodzin, Poland) 13 meters higher.
Read more curiosities and Christ the Redeemer facts, but above all, learn how to visit the statue the best way in the most practical guidebook about Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro.
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