94 years ago today, Cristo Redentor, or Christ the Redeemer, opened to the public in the hills above Rio de Janeiro. Standing 98 feet high, and with arms stretching 92 feet wide, the statue was built on top of Mount Corcovado by engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. Christ the Redeemer differs considerably from its original design, as the initial plan was a large Christ with a globe in one hand and a cross in the other. Although the project organizers originally accepted the design, it later changed to the statue of today, with the arms spread out wide. READ more about the famous statue… (1931)

This statue is the largest Art Deco–style sculpture in the world, and was voted to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World in 2001—a rather strange decision, as it was neither costly nor complicated

See Full Page