Christ the Redeemer, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Or as I know, Cristo Redentor, located in my hometown and the statue I saw every day on my ride to school. Considered one of the Wonders of the World, the statue is found at the peak of Corcovado mountain, twenty three hundred of feet in the air. This story started all the way back in 1859, when a French priest named “Pierre-Marie Boss” had the dream to build a religious monument on top of the Corcovado mountain. The idea started to become solid as the 100th celebration of Brazil Independence Day came closer, in 1922. More than 22 million women signed a petition directed to the President in order to build the monument, but there was one idea they were sticking with, and that was that all the money would have to be donated from Brazilian citizens themselves. The project was only completed in October 12th of 1931 and costed 9.5 million Reais. Every part was built in Brazil, except the head and hands which were made in France. Because of its altitude the statue can resist up to 250 km/h winds.
I still remember my first visit to the Christo Redentor. After seeing it for years, I had never actually gone to it, until my stepsister came from the United States to visit me. This was when my mom planned tours all over Rio in order for her to be able to get to know the country. On hour way there, my mom joked that we were going to climb the stairs rather than take the cog train or the vans that can drive you there. But regardless once you make it to the furthest the van and train can take you, you have to climb up. One thing that shocked me the most was how cold it was when we got up. With very strong winds you can say goodbye to hats and a decent looking hair. It was very difficult to get decent pictures as well, because of how crowded it was. There was a little coffee shop up by the monument and we stopped to get tea, since it was so cold. It was a core memory day, bonding with my family that I will never forget. The meaning of the statues is not only the religion but peace, since Christ have open arms welcoming everybody. To me, the statue of Christ the Redeemer represents home.
This monument is so beautiful. It’s the first thing I think about when someone mentions Brazil to me. The back story is so interesting, and I had no idea about those things.