CHRIST REDEEMER - The Great Wonder from BRAZIL

This statue of Jesus stands say 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Deliberated by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue had take five years to construct and it was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city and of the kindness of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.

The idea for erecting a large statue atop Corcovado was first recommended in the mid 1850s, when Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss requested financing from Princess Isabel to build a large religious monument. Princess Isabel did not think much about the idea and it was completely dismissed in 1889, when Brazil became a Republic, with laws mandating the separation of church and state. The second suggestion for a large landmark statue on the mountain was made in 1921 by the Catholic Circle of Rio. The group organized an event called Semana do Monumento to attract contributions and collect signatures to support the building of the statue.

The contributions came mostly from Brazilian Catholics. The designs considered for the "Statue of the Christ" included a representation of the Christian cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a podium symbolizing the world. The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms was selected.