Standing Tall Over Rio: The History and Creation of Christ the Redeemer

I can see this statue from how apartment. It is several miles away and you can still make it out very clearly. It truly does look out over the city. I have been too it twice and it is always amazing to see.

It sit at the top of Corcovado Mountain, and then onto of a pedestal they built for the statue. Christ the Redeemer is one of the wonders of the word and it is known all over the world

1. The Spark of an Idea (1850s–1920s)

Here is what I learned, it was first thought of in the 1850’s by a priest Pedro Maria Boss. Also on a side not Brazil is the largest Catholic Country in the world. His idea was to build it as a monument to the princess Isabel. The idea was but to the side in 1889 when Brazil becae a republic. Yes Brazil went from a piece of Portugal to a republic to a dictatorship and back to a republic.

In the 1920’ a grouped of Catholics brought the project back up again because they were concerned of a world post world war 1 of godlessness. They wanted something a landmark that was visible from anywhere.

Resource / Fonte:

• Learn more on Britannica’s History of Christ the Redeemer.
• Leia a cronologia detalhada no G1 - A História do Cristo Redentor.

2. Design and Global Collaboration

in 1921 a competition was held by the Archdiocese of Rio to find the designer. The contest was won by Heitor da Silva. The original dsin he had was the Christ holding a cross in one hand and the world in the other. That design was re-worked with a Brazilian Artist Carlos Oswald to the image we see today. The design depics the outstretched arm to look like a cross. To complete the work they hired three people

• Paul Landowski: The French-Polish sculptor crafted full-scale plaster molds for the head and hands in Paris.
• Gheorghe Leonida: The Romanian sculptor was selected to carve the intricate facial features.
• Albert Caquot: The French engineer helped design the structural inner core made of reinforced concrete.

3. Engineering Feats: Concrete and Soapstone

The concept was certanly a challange to put a 98 foot (30 meter) statue on top of a mountain. The logistics alone would be difficult even today. The statue was build with concrete for strenghtand durability and covered in soapstone.

small soap stone tiles were put into the mesh by hand. Many women wrote names of loved ones on the soap stone backs of the tile for a personal moment on the structure.

Resource / Fonte:

• Discover structural details on the Official New7Wonders Page.
• Veja imagens históricas da construção no Acervo Rio de Janeiro Histórica.

4. Construction and Dedication (1926–1931)

The official construction started in 1926. In the next 5 years the Corcovado railwa brought materials to the top. you can still take a train to get to the base of the statue when you go to see it. Most of the funding was done by Brazilian people and Catholic communities .

The statue was dedicated on October 12 1931

Key Facts at a Glance