A Small City in Brazil Is Building the Third Tallest Statue

 

 

Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul, a small city with a population of less than 23,000 people, located in the south of Brazil is constructing a new Jesus Christ statue, named “Cristo Protector de Encantado” or “Christ the Protector of Encantado”.

The process of building this giant statue had started back in July of 2019. The idea came from Mayor Adroaldo Conzatti, who died of corona virus in March of 2021.

This project will overshadow Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Jesus Christ statue “Christ the Redeemer”, being 5 meters taller than the Redeemer statue. This was the motive behind a lighthearted rival between Rio de Janeiro’s mayor and Encantado’s mayor on Twitter.

 

Characteristics of Christ the Protector

“Christ the Protector” is scheduled to finish later this year. Once the statue is completed, it will be the third tallest Jesus Christ statue around the globe.

The statue is 43 meters high (about 140 feet) including its pedestal, and 36 meters (118 feet) from hand to hand. The Protector statue is made of steel and concrete, approximately 17,600 cubic feet of concrete are used to build the statue.

“Christ the Protector” statue is portraying Jesus Christ with outstretched arms as a symbol of the cross. The hands and the head of the statue were installed earlier this month on the 6^th of April.

Reports say that the statue was designed by a local priest, whereas the sculpturing itself is teamwork done by the Brazilian sculptor Genesio Gomes Moura (Ceara) and his son Markus Moura.

The head itself weighs around 40 tons and it took 3 months of sculpting to make it perfect and mastering all the details of the face.

The statue has an internal lift, to take the tourists 40 meters up to the chest area, where there is an observation deck at the statue’s heart for people to behold and enjoy the scenes below.

The project will cost 2 million Brazilian reals, which equal around 350,000 US Dollars (255,000 pound sterling). The Friends of the Christ Association, the group that is organizing the project, is still raising funds and donations from individuals and companies to finish the project.

Local businessmen are also helping the project be completed, hoping that the new landmark of the city will increase tourism in their small town, which, in the end, will help the local economy. 

Encantodo’s authorities are assuring people that no public money is used to build this statue. The main purpose of building “Christ the Protector” statue is to encourage faith and tourism in the country.

 

The Iconic Statue “Christ the Redeemer”

The statue of “Christ the Redeemer” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is one of the most famous Jesus Christ statues around the world. People from everywhere come to visit this statue, it was also voted as one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” back in July 2007.

The Redeemer statue, which will celebrate its 90^th anniversary in October of this year, is 38 meters (125 feet) with its pedestal making it 5 meters shorter than “Christ the Protector” statue, and 28 meters (92 feet) from hand to hand 8 meters less than the Protector.

It was designed by the French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot and the Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida.

On Easter Sunday of 2020, the iconic statue “Christ the Redeemer” was lit up with an image of a doctor’s uniform as a way of honoring the doctors all over the world who are risking everything during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Tallest Jesus Christ Statues around the World

There are many statues of Jesus Christ around the globe the tallest one of them is “Jesus Buntu Burake” or “Statue of Jesus Christ Blessing” which is located in Tana Toraja Regency, Indonesia.

This statue is 52.55 meters (172.4 feet) with the pedestal. The statue was architected by Supriadi with the help of Hardo Wardoyo Suwarto.

The second tallest statue is “Christ the King” in Swiebodzim, western Poland. The statue is 52.5 meters (172 feet) with the pedestal, 5 cm shorter than the tallest statue.

“Christ the King” sculpture was designed by Miroslaw Kazimierz Patecki. Whereas the Indonesian statue is made from Bronze this one, much like the “Christ the Protector” statue, is made of concrete.

Mexico was not satisfied with this situation, so they are constructing the world’s tallest Jesus Christ Statue, called “El Cristo de La Paz” in Victoria City in the state of Tamaulipas, one of the most dangerous cities in the country.

It is reported that the Mexican architect Fernando Romero is designing the said sculptor. This statue will be about 76 meters (249 feet) once it is completed, which is more than twice as tall as “Christ the Protector” sculptor in Encantado, Brazil.

 

Written by - Leen Alrababah

Edited by – Adrija Saha