On the rainy October 12, 1931, Rio de Janeiro welcomed its new symbol. At the top of Corcovado, the Christ the Redeemer statue was officially inaugurated - a figure with outstretched arms facing the city and Guanabara Bay.
The ceremony took place on the mountain, which rises about 710 meters above sea level. It was attended by President Getúlio Vargas, the Governor of the Federal District Pedro Ernesto, Cardinal Sebastião Leme and representatives of the political and religious life of Brazil.
Nine years of work on Corcovado
The idea of a large Christian monument above Rio appeared as early as the 19th century, but the project received a real boost in the 1920s. The cornerstone was laid in 1922, and construction work continued until the inauguration in 1931.
The project was led by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. The figure was created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, and the face was made by Romanian artist Gheorghe Leonida. French engineer Albert Caco was involved in the calculations of the structure.
The statue itself is 30 meters high, and the eight-meter pedestal increases the total height to 38 meters. The arms reach about 28 meters, and the weight of the monument is approximately 1,145 tons. The structure is made of reinforced concrete and is covered with small slabs of soapstone - a material chosen for its resistance to weather conditions.
The lighting was to be switched on from Italy
One of the most ambitious elements of the ceremony is the planned remote switching on of the floodlights. The Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi is to send a signal from Italy to illuminate the statue in Rio.
Due to bad weather, the signal did not work as planned. According to archives kept by Brasiliana Fotográfica, the lighting was eventually turned on on site by the engineering team.
In a telegram to Marconi, journalist Assis Chateaubriand wrote:
„The moment you light the monument to Jesus Christ, Brazilian Catholics greet you.“
The unveiling is both a religious ritual and a national event. The monument was erected at a time when the Catholic community in Brazil was demanding a more visible presence of Christianity in public life.
From symbol of Rio to world landmark
Since its unveiling, Christ the Redeemer has gradually become the most recognizable image of Rio de Janeiro. The statue is part of the city's landscape, tourist routes, and the image of Brazil itself.
In 2007, it was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Today, the monument remains both a religious center, a historical monument, and a place from which visitors can see much of Rio - from the mountains and rainforest to the beaches and the bay.
Sources: aleteia.org, smithsonianmag.com