Hello friends! Are you ready for more adventures? Because today we’re traveling to Rio de Janeiro to see Christ the Redeemer!
If you want to learn more about Christ the Redeemer don’t forget to download our activity package:
Click here to download our Christ the Redeemer learning guide (English)
Click here to download our Christ the Redeemer flashcards (English)
Click here to download our Christ the Redeemer quiz (English)
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Click here to download our Christ the Redeemer learning guide (Spanish)
Click here to download our Christ the Redeemer flashcards (Spanish)
Click here to download our Christ the Redeemer quiz (Spanish)
Where is the Christ the Redeemer statue located?
Probably you’re wondering “what’s Christ the Redeemer?” Well, it’s a huge statue of Jesus Christ, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, right on the top of Mount Corcovado, which means “hunchback” in Portuguese and it’s over 2,310 feet (704 meters) high.
This enormous statue is the most famous monument in Brazil and one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. It was commissioned by The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro and the Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski created the statue.
Origin of the statue
Originally, it was planned that the statue would have Christ carrying a large cross in one hand and a globe in the other. Then the statue earned the nickname “Christ with a ball.” After some consideration, it was decided upon Christ with his arms wide open in an Art Deco style.
Construction started in 1922 and was finished in 1931. It’s made from reinforced concrete and 6 million soapstone tiles! Excluding its 26 feet (8 meters) pedestal, Christ the Redeemer is 98 feet (30 meters) high, its arms stretch 92 feet (28 meters) wide, and weighs 635 metric tons. It’s the largest Art Deco statue in the world!
This statue is so iconic, that In 2007 it was voted onto the list of the New Seven Wonders of the world, alongside The Great Wall of China, The Roman Colosseum, Chichen Itza, Petra, Machu Picchu, and The Taj Mahal.
Fun facts about the statue
By the way, did you know that Christ the Redeemer is targeted by lightning very often? Yes, that’s right, however, the statue’s numerous lightning rods divert most of these strikes. Although, just before the 2014 World Cup, which took place in Brazil, lightning damaged the back of the statue’s head and a fingertip. Officials scrambled to repair the statue before the first game kicked off.
As you can imagine, Christ the Redeemer is visited by millions of people each year, and to get to the statue, most people take the Corcovado train. This is a centenarian eco-friendly electric train that makes its way through the forest. So can climb to the statue while admiring the beautiful nature, and without producing any kind of pollution! Great, isn’t it?
For years, people had to climb around 200 steps from the train station to reach the statue. However, in 2003, officials installed a series of escalators and elevators to make the journey easier. That’s some good thinking.
And those are just a few facts about Christ the Redeemer, we don’t want to spoil all the fun. Just remember to take a moment to admire the beautiful view when you get there!
Ciao friends!
