Print

Christ the Redeemer

• 
  
  Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Mount Corcovado (Continent of South America)
• Built by: Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa designed the statue with the help of French sculptor Paul Landowski
• How long to build: It took nine years to build
• Date built: Construction started in 1922, and in 1931, the statue construction completed
• Size: The statue is 98 ft (30 m) tall and has an arm span of 92 ft (28 m)
• Weight: The concrete and soapstone tiles weigh about 1,400,000 lbs (635 tons)
• It is a statue of Jesus Christ, symbolizing the loving embrace of Christ.
• Mount Corcovado is 2,310 ft (704 m) high, and the statue sits at its peak. The statue is visible for miles (kilometers) throughout the city below.
• The statue is slowly changing color because it uses different materials and needs repair. The original materials are rare now.
• Workers in France built part of the statue, then it was shipped over the ocean to Brazil and was put back together and reinforced.
• Over the years, the statue has been through a lot of rough weather. It has been struck by lightning many times, and once, lightning took off one of the tips of the statue’s fingers.
• Before 2003, you had to climb 200 steps to visit it in person. Now, there are escalators and elevators for a more leisurely visit.
• About 2 million people visit annually. At the base of the statue are a small restaurant and a chapel for visitors to enjoy.
• When the statue needs repair, workers must tie themselves to a rope and repel down to the statue that needs repair. They will even walk on the arms to help fix the hands.