RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Elected one of the seven wonders of the modern world, Christ the Redeemer celebrates today, October 12, its 90th anniversary as Brazil’s most famous image. In 1926, construction began on the 38-meter-high monument atop Corcovado Mountain, 710 meters above sea level. It took five years to complete and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931.
The day of the anniversary of one of the main attractions of the country began today (12) at 7:15 AM, with the Civic Religious Act and the Holy Mass of Thanksgiving for the 90 Years of Christ the Redeemer and in honor of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil’s patron saint, whose day is also October 12 and a national holiday.
During the event, which will be attended by public and religious authorities, there will be the launching of the Commemorative Medal of the 90 Years of Christ the Redeemer and the Special Postcard in Honor of the Christ the Redeemer Monument.
The Smoke Squadron of the Brazilian Air Force will make a presentation flying over the monument. The Marine Corps Band will participate musically in the event.
The entire ceremony will be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel of the Cristo Redentor Sanctuary.
The rector of the Cristo Redentor Sanctuary, Father Omar Raposo, highlights that the monument is the country’s “poster boy”. It is impossible to think of Brazil abroad without reporting our gaze and our memory to this precious monument on top of Corcovado,” he says.
“Christ the Redeemer gives us the feeling that it looks like it was carved on the hill of Corcovado mountain. That is so wonderful. Imagine what Rio de Janeiro would be if it weren’t for Christ the Redeemer?”
He reminds us that the statue interacts perfectly with the surrounding nature, the Tijuca National Park, and brings an experience from the open arms. “These arms communicate welcome and identify even more the heart of the Brazilian people, which is a welcoming heart that also has solid components for work, full of energy so that we can develop this beloved nation.”
RESTORATION
The quality of the work impresses architect and sculptor Cristina Ventura, coordinator of the most recent restoration of the Christ. “It is a quality that calls attention nowadays. That’s the most amazing thing. You can’t find much newer structures today with the quality that was done in this work,” says Ventura.
“There is no other construction of this type, in this period, with the audacity that Christ was. Another landmark is that the Christ is the largest art deco sculpture in the world,” she adds.
The architect recalls that the engineers and architects involved in the project were audacious – the workers without personal protective equipment were hanging from scaffolding over a precipice more than 700 meters high.
“I can imagine this when we, the team, do things with so much love, imagine for them that they were building the Christ the Redeemer. What kind of commitment that this team didn’t have here, you know?” ponders Ventura.