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Standing
at the top of the Corcovado mountain, stands the world famous
statue of Christ. The monument measures 38 meters (124.7 feet
high) from the pedestal to the top of the head of the statue.
The pedestal measures 8 meters (26.25 foot) and it contains a
chapel that can hold 150 people. The statue itself measures 30
meters (98.43 feet high). |
Known
as Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), the statue was brought
to the top of the hill in 1931. It was elaborated by the Brazilian
architect Heitor da Silva Costa and sculpted by the French Paul
Landwilk. It was sculpted in sandstone because of its resistance
to time, weather changes, cracking and deformation.
The monument
was inaugurated on the day of Our Lady of Aparecida, 12 October,
of the year 1931 by then President Getúlio Vargas and
cardinal Dom Sebastião Leme.
To visit
the statue, the visitors had to climb up 222 steps in the past,
but on January, 19 2003, 3 elevators and 4 escalators were inaugurated,
making access to the monument a lot easier. The construction
took 3 years to be completed and it was a partnership between
the Banco Real/ABNAMRO Bank, Gerdau, Arquidiocese do Rio, Ibama
and Fundação Roberto Marinho. The statue receives
about 6-8 thousand visitors per weekend.
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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. In 1993 a new illumination was brought
to the statue and now it can be better viewed from the most varied
and distant parts of the city. The Corcovado mountain measures
704 meters high (2,310 feet) and it provides the most beautiful
view of the city from its top. From that privileged position
we can see a breathtaking view of the Guanabara Bay and the Sugar
Loaf. |
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It can
be accessed by car by the road through the Parque Nacional da
Tijuca or by the funicular located in the Estrada de Ferro Corcovado
leaving from the Cosme Velho station. The funicular was inaugurated
114 years ago, by Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II. The ride to
the top takes around 20 minutes and it crosses the biggest urban
forest in the world, the Tijuca National Park, a part of the
Atlantic Forest considered as an example of nature preservation. |
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Those
who take a ride in the Corcovado funicular also help preserving
the forest. The funicular is electric so it doesn't harm nature,
and part of the funds generated by the entrance tickets are destined
to Ibama (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente), the Brazilian
institute for the preservation of nature.
The
pictures below, with the exception of the first three on top,
were taken by me during some of my visits to the statue.
They are not public domain and not for download. Please, do not
save them. Thank you !
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The Corcovado
hill and the statue of Christ on top,
seen from the Urca hill. Picture taken in June 2003. |
The Corcovado
hill and the statue of Christ on top,
seen
from the Urca hill. Picture taken in April 2006. |
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The
statue of Christ on top of the Corcovado hill.
Picture taken in November 1991. |
The statue
of Christ.
Picture taken on December 4 2004. |
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The
Copacabana beach seen from the Corcovado.
Picture taken on December 4, 2004 on a foggy day. |
The Guanabara
Bay.
Picture taken on December 4, 2004. |
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The
Rodrigo de Frietas Lagoon.
This picture was taken in November 1991. |
The Lagoon
and the famous Christmas Tree of Rio.
Picture taken in December 2004. |
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The
Christmas Tree in the Lagoon and Ipanema
beach on the background. |
A
closer view of the tree. It has a beautiful
illumination at night. |
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The
Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon on the left and the Jockey Club.
Picture taken on November 1991. |
A closer
view of the Jockey Club.
Picture taken on December 4, 2004. |
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The
lunch area on top of the Corcovado.
On the top the left you can see part of the Jockey Club. |
The escalators
and the entrance of the elevators,
inaugurated on January, 19 2003. |
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A hang-glider
coming really close to the statue.
Picture taken in April 2006 while visiting the statue
with two American friends. |
Me and
my American friends Betty and Ruth.
April 18, 2006. |
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From
the top of the Corcovado, we have a beautiful
view of the city, including the Sugar Loaf. |
The small
chapel located on the bottom of the
statue of Christ. Picture taken in April 2006. |
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The famous Maracanã Stadium, the
largest stadium in the world, and its surrounding districts.
The soccer
stadium was built in 1950 for the World Cup, and designed to
hold 166,369 spectators. Currently, after reforms, it can hold
up to 114,145.
Its official
name, Stadium Journalist Mario Filho, is a tribute to one of
the most important Brazilian journalists, founder of the newspaper
“Jornal dos Esportes”. It was inaugurated on 16 June
1950 with a match between a team from Rio de Janeiro and one
from São Paulo. |
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The Rio-Niterói
Bridge, the largest bridge in the world in terms of construction
volume, is 13.9 kilometers long and 20 meters wide. The total
constructed area is 210,600 square meters. It is the largest
structure of its kind to this date.
The bridge
connects the cities, Rio de Janeiro and Niterói and opened
to vehicle traffic on March 5, 1974. Its true name is President
Costa e Silva Bridge, but is popularly known as Rio-Niterói
Bridge. |
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Corcovado
Adress:
Rua Cosme Velho 513, Cosme Velho,
Rio de Janeiro - RJ
Tel: (55)(21) 2558-1329
Working Schedule:
From 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM.
The funicular departures every half-hour.
Email: trem@corcovado.com.br
Website: www.corcovado.com.br |
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