Reflections on the Olympics: The Statue
“Even if you are not religious, how can you look at Christ the Redeemer and not be impressed.”— Anonymous
This is my third and final column in which I am sharing reflections on the 2016 Summer Olympics. The first week I commented on “The Competition.” Last week I talked about “The Moment.” And today I want us to think about “The Statue.”
Many cities have iconic points of reference. St. Louis has The Arch; San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge; New York City has the Statue of Liberty; Paris has the Eiffel Tower; London has Big Ben; and Philadelphia has Constitution Hall.
When you think about Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, however, the statue of Christ the Redeemer immediately comes to mind. And since this famous statue has been mentioned often during 2016 Summer Olympics, I decided to share some things about it with you.
The idea of building a large statue at the peak of the 2,300-foot Mount Corcovado was first suggested in the mid-1850’s when a Vincentian priest suggested placing a Christian monument there. The idea was dismissed because of separation of church and state issues.
Around 1920 another proposal for a landmark statue wasmade after World War I caused the Catholic Circle to fear “…an advancing tide of godlessness. Church and state had been separated when Brazil became a republic at the end of the previous century, and they saw the statue as a way of reclaiming Rio, then Brazil’s capital city, for Christianity.” (BBC News)
After receiving the necessary approvals fromthe church and government leaders, the construction began in 1922 andwas completed in 1931. Materials were brought to the top of the mountain by train. The statue was officially opened to visitors on October 12, 1931.
The structure stands 98 feet not including the 26 foot pedestal, and its arms stretch 92 feet wide. By comparison, it is approximately two-thirds the height of the Statue of Liberty from base to torch. The structure is made of reinforced concrete rather than steel, which is more suitable for the crossshaped statue. The outer layers are soapstone, chosen for its enduring qualities and ease of use.
Maintenance work needs to be done on it periodically due to the wear and tear from the elements. The statue was struck by lightning during a violent thunderstorm on February 10, 2008, and suffered some damage to the fingers, head and eyebrows. Another lightning strike on January 17, 2014 damaged a finger on the right hand.
In 2010 amassive restoration of the statue was undertaken. The statue was washed, the mortar and soapstone that coverd the statue were replaced, the internal structure of iron was restored, and the monument wasmade waterproof.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Christ the Redeemer is not on that list.
However, Christ the Redeemer is on the 7 New Wonders of the World list which also includes India’s Taj Mahal, Mexico’s Chichen Itza, Rome’s Coliseum, the Great Wall of China, Peru’s Machu Picchu, and Jordan’s Petra. It was estimated that up to 10,000 visitors per day during the 2016 Olympics visited the statue.
While doing research for this column I loved looking at the host of incredible pictures of Christ the Redeemer. How inspiring it was to see this iconic statue from just about every angle and at all times of the day and in all kinds of weather. No wonder anyone who talked about the Summer Olympics of 2016 had to say something about it.
An architect once said, “First we design our buildings then they design us.” Surely that axiom can also apply to the impressive and influential statue of Christ the Redeemer which overlooks Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
THINKABOUTIT.