Christ the Redeemer
Ella W.
Location
Description
Christ the Redeemer's arms are spread wide as a welcoming gesture. He stands 120 feet tall including the pedestal, his wing span ninety two feet wide. His right hand points south, while his left points north. He weighs roughly 635 tons. He is made of concrete and soapstone. There is a small chapel at the bottom of the pedestal called the Chapel of Nossa Senhora Aparecida. He is surrounded by a tropical forest called Tijuca National Forest. Inside the forest there are beautiful waterfalls and butterflies. Standing on Corcovado Peak 2,000 feet high you can see the famous beaches at Copacabana and Ipanema. You can also see a blue lagoon called Rodrigo de Freitas.
A view from the back of Christ the Redeemer
History
In the 1850s a Christian priest came up with the idea to build a statue of Christ, so the priest asked for funds from Princess Isabel. She wouldn't give him any, so around 1921 the Catholic Circle of Rio started to collect signatures and donations for a private funding for a Christian monument. The local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and the priest came up with many different designs at first. They juggled many ideas around and decided to have Christ's arms spread wide open to symbolize welcoming of all people. The sculptor was Paul Landowski, a Frenchman. The construction began in 1922.
After nine years and $250,000 the statue was finished. On October 12, 1931 the statue was open to the public. In 2006 for the seventy fifth anniversary of the statue, they added a chapel at the bottom of the statue. The chapel was dedicated to the patron saint of Brazil (Nossa Senhora Aparecida). Tracks for the cogwheel steam engines to carry people up the hill were put in around 1885, a little after the idea of the statue came.
Heitor da Silva Costa
Paul Landowski
Princess Isabel
Sacredness
Interesting Facts
New Seven Wonders of the World
Christ the Redeemer Struck by Lightning
Christ the Redeemer Vandilized
Works Cited
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“Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.” Monsters & Critics. N.p., 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://lists.monstersandcritics.com/amazing-worlds/seven-wonders-of-the-world/>.
Christ the Redeemer struck by lightning. Daily News. NYDailyNews, 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/incredible-photos-show-lightning-strike-christ-redeemer-statute-rio-de-janeiro-article-1.1583494>.
Dunn, Jerry Camarillo, Jr. “Christ the Redeemer Statue.” How Stuff Works. HowStuffWorks, 1998-2016. Web. 2 Feb. 2016. <http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/christ-the-redeemer-statue-landmark.htm>.
“Heitor da Silva Costa.” BlogSpot. N.p., 10 June 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://monumentoshistoria.blogspot.com/>.
Hillman, Howard. “Location in Brazil.” Wonders of Brazil. N.p., 6 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://www.hillmanwonders.com/brazil/christ_the_redeemer.htm>.
Jones, Hannah. “Map of Christ the Redeemer.” Google Plus. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <https://plus.google.com/112865487371089200235/posts/PSBgwDHcPj4>.
Pacheco, Insley. “Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, c.1887.” Wikipedia. N.p., Feb. 2011. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
“Paul Landowski.” Blog Spot. N.p., 10 June 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://monumentoshistoria.blogspot.com/>.
Purio. “Map-of-Christ-the-Redeemer.” Wikia. N.p., 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2016. <http://rio.wikia.com/wiki/File:Map-Christ-the-Redeemer.png>.
Wright, Chris. Christ the Redeemer vandalism. Who Ate All the Pies. N.p., 13 June 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/fail/127946/ballsy-atletico-mineiro-fan-defaces-christ-the-redeemer-statue-with-ronaldinhos-name-makes-unfortunate-spelling-cock-up.html>.