Church Aims to Restore Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer Statue

  • January 7, 2010
Church Aims to Restore Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer Statue
A technical inspection recently found the monument, which welcomes more than two million visitors annually, requires approximately R$7 million of restoration work.

The statue is a result of gifts from the faithful offered in response to a large-scale public appeal in the 1920s which inspired the call for people to provide support to enable this maintenance work. The statue shows considerable wear given it is situated in the open air 2,330 feet above sea level, vulnerable to both rain and sun damage. Additionally, the restoration work will result in improved signage and better tourist information onsite.

"The statue will welcome even more visitors because of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, "said Father Omar Raposo, rector of Santuário Cristo Redentor, the church associated with the site. "This year we made emergency repairs equaling R$1.5 million, a cost shared by the Archdiocese and the Ministry of Tourism. We replaced lightning protection damaged by a storm, waterproofed the interior and replaced the pavement around the base of the monument. Now we need to restore the statue, which is made of concrete with soapstone cladding. We also need to protect its internal structure and reset some cladding and detailing."

Donations can be made through any of the 252 parish churches in the Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro. Individuals who donate R$7 to the "I belong to Christ" campaign will receive a gold pin featuring an image of the statue as a thank you gift.

Further information about the campaign can be found at www.soudecristo.org.br.

This information is from the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo.

More information: Rio de Janeiro Luxury Hotels & Resorts

More information: Brazil Luxury Travel Guide