The statue of Christ, the Redeemer
The statue of Christ the Redeemer, known in Portuguese as Cristo Redentor, is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One of Brazil's most recognised landmarks, the statue, depicting Jesus Christ with arms wide open in the gesture of a hug, stands on the peak of the 2300 ft high Corcovado mountain overlooking the city of Rio. In 2007, the statue was elected one of the New 7 wonders of the world from among a selection of 200 existing monuments in a popularity poll organised by a Switzerland-based organisation, The New 7 Wonders Foundation.
The idea of a huge statue of Christ atop Mount Corcovado was mooted in the 1850s by Pedro Maria Boss, a Vincentian priest, in honour of Isabel, the princess regent of Brazil. However, the project was shelved for want of official approval and was not revived until about 70 years later, in 1921, when it was taken up by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro. The foundation stone was laid on April 4, 1922. The same year a competition was held to choose the best design for the statue, and Heitor da Silva Costa, an engineer emerged the winner in collaboration with artist Carlos Oswald. The church raised the funds for the project, and construction began in 1926 under the leadership of French sculptor Paul Landowski. The workers and materials were transported to the peak by mountain railway. The construction materials were reinforced concrete and soapstone, with the latter being chosen for its durability and resistance to the effects of extreme weather conditions on the mountain-top. The building process took 5 years and the statue --- standing 98 ft tall, on a 26 ft pedestal, with outstretched arms spanning 92 ft --- was formally inaugurated on October 12, 1931.
Over the years, many renovations have been carried out on the statue. In 2003, mechanised access became possible, with panaromic elevators and escalators, and it is no longer necessary to climb the 220 steps to the foot of the statue. The iconic statue now attracts over 3 lakh visitors, with a bonus to the pilgrimage up the mountain being a spectacular, panoramic view of the city of Rio.
