Visit the home of Christ the Redeemer, Morro de Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro!

Towering high above the city of Rio de Janeiro, Morro de Corcovado also known as Mount Corcovado or the Corcovado Mountain, is home to one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, “Cristo Redentor”. Known world-wide as Christ the Redeemer, the statue has been welcoming visitors to this amazing city since 1931 while perched precariously on the top of this famous landmark in the Carioca mountains. The narrow summit of Morro de Corcovado stands 2,310 feet tall at it’s highest point. The statue on it’s peak extends another 105 feet into the sky.

Originally designed to mark the 100th anniversary of Brazil’s independence from Portugual in 1922, it wasn’t until nine years later that the 1,145 pound statue of Christ with open arms was placed on the mountain. It is believed, however, that the original idea of a monument was actually expressed as early as the mid 1850’s. It was around that time that Pedro Maria Boss, a catholic priest, approached Princess Isabel regarding the financing he needed to construct a large religious monument. Apparently Princess Isabel either didn’t think too much of the concept or didn’t give much credibility to the priest’s determination and she dismissed the idea in 1889. It was believed that the fact that Brazil was now a republic and the governement supported the separation of church and state was the deciding factor in the concept’s demise.

It wasn’t until 1921, thirty-two years later, that another proposal for such a monument was made by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro. To garner support for their project, the Archdiocese held what they called “Semana do Monumento” or Monument Week which they hoped would help them solicit donations for the statue. The money that eventually made Cristo Redentor a reality was primarily donated by catholics. In addition to the statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms, other considered designs included a statue of Jesus holding a globe and a Christian cross. The chosen design was drawn out by a local engineer by the name of Heitor da Silva Costa. The chosen sculptor was Paul Landowski. Originally born in Poland, Landowski was living in France at the time.

Although the cross statue had been planned in steel, the Cristo Redentor monument was actually constructed of reinforced concrete. A team of technicians and engineers who studied the design determined the concrete was a more suitable material. The concrete was encased in soapstone to increase the longevity of the statue. The final cost of the monument tallied approximately $250,000.

In the year 2000, new lighting was adding and a revitalization program was responsible for the addition of panoramic elevators and escalators that replaced the 222 steps that visitors had previously had to climb to reach the base of the statue. With these additions, the monument has a traffic capacity of 9,000 people per hour. In 2006, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Cristo Redentor, a chapel was consecrated under the statue. The Catholics of Rio de Janeiro are now able to use this chapel as the venue for weddings as well as baptisms. Other additions include a renovated Cosme Velho Station, which is now an area that has stores as well as a VIP room and an auditorium. The cultural room is a place in which visitors have access to the complete history of the monument as well as the railroad itself. Visitors choosing to brave the stairs will have the opportunity to take advantage of several souvenir and snack stands along the way.

Visitors standing on the main viewing deck at the feet of Christ the Redeemer are enthralled by a view of Rio that simply cannot be found anywhere else in the city. To get to Morro de Corcovado, which stands on the edge of Tijuca National Park right in the center of Rio de Janeiro, a visitor’s best option is the train. The price is R$20 per person and operating hours match that of the monument and museum from 9 am to 7 pm. Rua Cosme Velho 513, tel. 21/2558-1329, www.corcovado.com.br).

More about Christ the Redeemer in the link below: