A little more on Christ the Redeemer

One of the New 7 Wonders of the World, Christ the Redeemer (O Cristo Redentor), is the largest art deco statue in the world. The statue is 39m (130ft) tall (including its 9.5m pedestal), and stands upon a granite dome at the peak of the Corcovado Mountain. At over 700m above sea level, the statue has amazing views of downtown Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara bay, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches.

Completed in 1931, the statue was not the first proposal for a religious monument in Rio de Janerio’s history. It was first suggested in the mid 1850s, however it failed to obtain both the funds and approval necessary. The second attempt began in 1921, by the Catholic Circle, who organized a Semana do Monumento (Monument Week) to get support. It proved to be successful, and work began the following year. Taking 9 years to build, the monument was made from reinforced concrete and soapstone.