Statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Cristo Redentor is a statue of Jesus of Nazareth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It is considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is 30.1 metres (99 ft) tall, not including its 6 metres (20 ft) pedestal, and 19 metres (62 ft) wide.
It weighs 635 tonnes (625 long,700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city.
A symbol of Brazilian Christianity, the statue has become an icon for Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed between 1926 and 1931.
In the 1850s the Vincentian priest Pedro Maria Boss suggested placing a Christian monument on Mount Corcovado to honour Isabel, princess regent of Brazil and the daughter of Emperor Pedro II, although the project was never approved.
In 1921 the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro proposed that a statue of Christ be built on the 2,310-foot (704-metre) summit, which, because of its commanding height, would make it visible from anywhere in Rio. Citizens petitioned Pres. Epitácio Pessoa to allow the construction of the statue on Mount Corcovado.
