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Discover the Divine: Top 11 Amazing Fun Facts about Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio

illustration of christ-the-redeemer
Get ready to embark on a fascinating journey as we unravel some delightful fun facts about the iconic Christ the Redeemer that'll surely leave you amazed and enlightened!

1. DIY Stairway to Heaven

Scaling the stairway to heaven on an extreme DIY project: Christ the Redeemer's construction had workers playing daredevils on mountain scaffolding while French-Polish artist Paul Landowski fine-tuned the head and hands in his studio, bringing the statue to life piece by piece, debunking the myth of a France-based assembly line.
Source => dailymail.co.uk

2. Housewarming on Corcovado Mountain

When Christ throws a housewarming party on Corcovado Mountain, you know he’ll outshine everyone with 28-metre wide "let's hug it out" arms and glowing soapstone attire: This larger-than-life, 38-metre tall art deco statue known as Christ the Redeemer was completed in October 1931, funded by the church and made from reinforced concrete, covered in soapstone tiles for that incandescent glow, and has been posing for epic selfies ever since!
Source => medium.com

3. Jesus' Jazz Hands

Who knew Jesus was into "jazz hands"? Get ready to be impressed: Christ the Redeemer, Brazil’s shining symbol of faith, stands tall on Rio's Mt. Corcovado at 38m (125ft) high, spans its arms 28m (92ft) wide, and prides itself as the world's largest Art Deco-style sculpture since its inauguration in 1931, attracting nearly two million visitors annually and even splurging on a $4 million restoration in 2010.
Source => bbc.com

4. FIFA World Cup Dress-Up

In a twist worthy of a Brazilian telenovela, Christ the Redeemer played dress-up during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but he didn't take up refereeing duties: Instead, the statue was illuminated in the colors of all participating teams as part of a stunning light and sound show, with Brazil's iconic green and yellow showcased each time their team played, all thanks to the inventive minds at the Archdiocese in Rio de Janeiro.
Source => bleacherreport.com

Mother Nature's Art Attack

5. Mother Nature's Art Attack

When Mother Nature gets her knickers in a twist, she takes aim at Rio's famous giant art piece: Christ the Redeemer has been struck by lightning multiple times, thanks to its prime mountaintop location, and regularly needs repairs due to the thrashing winds and salty environments it so gracefully endures.
Source => blog.shoreexcursionsgroup.com

6. Christ's Facelift and Spa Treatment

When Christ the Redeemer decided to get a facelift, He went all-in with a full-on spa treatment complete with a soapstone exfoliation and a green-and-yellow glow up in support of Team Brazil: In 2010, the iconic statue underwent a massive restoration involving over 100 workers, who replaced the mortar and soapstone using more than 60,000 pieces of stone from the same quarry as the original, and added a brilliant green-and-yellow illumination during the unveiling to cheer on the Brazil national football team in the FIFA World Cup.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Wonders of the World Marketing Stunt

Brazil's Christ the Redeemer surely had the image of a dense marketer when it campaigned for the title of New Seven Wonders of the World, with soccer players doubling as advertising banners and a president channeling his inner cheerleader: Behind this witty crusade, the statue secured its position in the Top 7 after a telecom company waived text message voting fees, igniting a fire of patriotic fervor that resulted in millions of votes being cast.
Source => csmonitor.com

8. Tracking 1,145 Tons of Jesus

If you thought losing your car keys was bad, try keeping track of 1,145 tons of reinforced concrete in the form of a giant statue of Jesus: Christ the Redeemer stands at a heavenly 30 meters tall, donning a robe of thousands of small ceramic or stone triangles made of soapstone, with a 30-ton head and each arm weighing a whopping 80 tons.
Source => lucindariley.co.uk

9. Giant Party Guest

If the big man upstairs ever threw a party, He'd have Christ the Redeemer as his plus one, with open arms that look just perfect for an epic two-directional hug: This colossal concrete and soapstone party guest took a leisurely 9 years to sculpt, weighing in at over 600 tons, and now stands proudly as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World – showing off its spectacular Art Deco design that brings peace, spirituality, and a touch of celeb status to Brazil's beautiful landscape.
Source => artdecostyle.ca

Concrete Arm Workout

10. Concrete Arm Workout

Who needs arm day at the gym when you're a colossal statue made of reinforced concrete: During the construction of Christ the Redeemer, the builders ingeniously poured concrete directly into the statue's arms, creating a solid internal structure that could support their weight, debunking any myths that it was built from the inside out!
Source => wonders-of-the-world.net

11. Eco-Friendly Workout Buddy

Who needs a gym when you've got an eco-friendly workout buddy like Christ the Redeemer? This green giant of Rio de Janeiro makes tourists work for their blessings, all while keeping Mama Earth smiling: The monument features energy-efficient Otis® Gen2® lifts that consume 75 percent less energy than traditional ones and outdoor escalators that conserve electricity and reduce wear and tear. Bonus points for hiding lift hoistways among the trees and shaping escalators to the mountain's curves, making Christ the Redeemer a buff role model in sustainable tourism.
Source => otis.com

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