Christ the Redeemer of the Open Arms - History

The statue of Christ was first conceived in 1921, when the "Monument Week" - a campaign created to gather funds from the Catholic Community - was held. Nevertheless, donations only happened ten years later, due to Arcebishop Dom Sebastião Leme's coordination of the campaign.

The first sketches of the statue were designed by the artist Carlos Oswaldo, who pictured Christ carrying a cross, holding a globe in his hands, while standing over a pedestal symbolizing the world. Although, Rio's population preferred the statue as it is known worldwide today, with its arms open, embracing all the people. The project was developed by engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and it took almost five years to be completed.

After many studies on which materials should be employed in the construction, the "soap stone" was chosen because of its resistance to time, weather changes, cracking and deformation, even though it is so soft that even a finger nail may scratch it.

Building the monument was not easy. Since the execution of this task in Brazil was not possible at the time, the drafts had to be sent to France, to the hands of the Polish sculptor Paul Landowski. Back to the Country, the parts were carried up using the Corcovado Railroad, and joined together up the hill. The statue of Christ the Redeemer pays homage to Rio's religiosity, and has become a symbol of the City and of its people, receiving all visitors with its arms open.