Brazil will have a new giant Christ and it will be bigger than the one in Rio de Janeiro

ENCANTADO, Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil to create giant new statue of Christ in a small town in the south of the country which will exceed in size the iconic Christ the Redeemer that stands atop Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro.

This week the arms and head of the statue were erected, of which Construction began in 2019 in Encantado, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its conclusion is scheduled for end of this year, according to the Association of Friends of Christ, which coordinates the work.

“It is for sure a day of celebration, of devotion,” Gilson Conzatti, advisor and son of Adroaldo Conzatti, a local politician who welcomed the idea, celebrated the progress of the project on his social networks.

Adroaldo, who was the city’s mayor, died in March of health complications as a result of Covid-19.

The Enchanted statue will be called Cristo Protector and will be 43 meters high, including its pedestal, making it the third tallest such statue in the world. The hand-to-hand extension is 36 meters. It will have an internal elevator and a gazebo.

The Christ the Redeemer of Corcovado, Brazil’s most famous postcard, measures 38 meters including the pedestal, and was inaugurated in October 1931.

Encantado, with 22,000 inhabitants, is located 144 kilometers from Porto Alegre, the state capital.

The construction, erected on Cerro de las Antenas and designed by a priest of the city, seeks to “transmit the faith of the city of Encantado and promote tourism in the region”.

The sculptors Genesio and Markus Moura, father and son, are in charge of the work. The budget of 2 million reais (approximately $ 350,000) was funded by donations and without public moneyAccording to the Association of Friends of Christ, made up of volunteers.

On its website, the association is continuing the fundraising campaign, and even opened a raffle for a vehicle to boost donations.

Agencia AFP

THE NATION