Monday 18 February | Blessed Fra Angelico

In pictures: The 10 most beautiful monumental statues of Christ

Christ the Redeemer, of Corcovado (Brazil), Rio de Janeiro. One of the most popular
Christian emblems in the world, it stands 38 meters tall (including 30 for Christ and 8 for
the pedestal) and has a width of 28 meters from hand to hand. It was made in 1931 by
French sculptor Paul Landowski at the request of Heitor da Silva, the engineer who
coordinated the work and dedicated his life to it. In Brazil, more than 130 cities have
their own statue of Christ based on the model of that of Rio.

Isabelle Cousturie - France | Feb 19, 2018

From Corcovado to Świebodzin, from Copoya to Manado, from Maratea to Vung Tau and Cochambama to Lisbon, all of these statues are symbols of faith.

Click here to launch the slideshow

Although the majestic statue of Christ the Redeemer at Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro is considered the most famous in the world, there are others at many locations around the globe. Their size ranges between 20 and 40 meters in height (1 meter = 1.09 yards). They are like the Statue of Liberty in New York: a unifying and protective symbol for the whole country, and an attraction for thousands of tourists. Did you know that Brazil alone has more than a hundred public statues made on the model of that of Corcovado?

Here is a selection of 10 of the most significant monumental representations of Christ around the world: click on the first image to see the slideshow.