Heading for our next destination – Brazil

The next stop on our journey is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This World Wonder, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, is located at the summit of Mount Corcorvada, overlooking the city. While it is the youngest of our seven wonders, it is no less spectacular. The statue’s gesture is viewed as one of peace & welcoming.

statue-Christ-the-Redeemer-Rio-de-Janeiro

Here are some interesting facts about the statue of Christ the Redeemer:

Each year, Christ the Redeemer is visited by nearly 2 million people. The record number of visitors to the statue in a single day was a huge 14,000 during Easter of 2011.
Housing prices in Rio de Janeiro are increased simply if the property has a view of Christ the Redeemer. Apartments with even a slight view of the statue are higher than those with the same location and size but no view.
You can get married at the chapel beneath Christ the Redeemer, although wearing full wedding attire on the slow trip to the top of the mountain (cog train to an elevator to an escalator) may not be everyone’s idea of romance
Due to the statue’s mountaintop position, it’s prone to lightning strikes. In 2014, lightning struck and broke one of the statue’s thumbs
Christ the Redeemer’s outer shell is made of 6 million soapstone tiles. Workers wrote notes on the back of the tiles, so this icon landmark is full of hidden messages.
A couple of acrobatic graffiti artists scaled the statue while it was being renovated and vandalized the head, arms, and chest. Rio’s mayor called the act a “crime against the nation.” The vandals eventually turned themselves in.
A Brazilian artist wrote a song inspired by the monument called “That Hug”
Christ the Redeemer reaches a height of 30 metres and boasts and arm span of 28 metres. It weighs 635 tonnes. It’s one of the largest statues of Jesus and the tallest art deco statue in the world.
Construction of the statue took 9 years from 1922-1931. The cost ($250,000 US) was paid for by the Christian community, not through taxes.