Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro “loses power” before Christ Protector, of Rio Grande do Sur

To revive tourism, they say, in a city in southern Brazil, he is building a Christ that surpasses that of Rio de Janeiro in height. Thus, in Encantado -Rio Grande do Sur-, they accelerate their “Protective Christ”. A colossus 43 meters high which leaves the Christ the Redeemer of Rio “short”, which measures 38 meters high.

Encantado is a town of 22,000 inhabitants, located 144 kilometers from Porto Alegre. Like any monument of this type, the architectural “nudity” of this gigantic Christ is impressive. The information indicates that the the cost of the project was 350 thousand dollars. And according to the Amigos del Cristo Association, it was funded by donations and no public or state money. In fact, on a website, they keep raising money for its completion.

The beginning of this work which “crowns” the Cerro de las Antenas dates back to 2019 and should be inaugurated at the end of 2021. It is a priest from the city of Encantado who promoted the construction of this “Christ, the protector”. reasons: to transmit the faith of the inhabitants of the said city of Rio Grande do Sur, and to promote tourism in this region.

Plastic artists Marcos and Genésio Moura it is they who are responsible for this Christ. Both father and son have some experience in works of this type. They built the Christ of Sertãozinho, in São Paulo. This moment, inaugurated in May 2014, has become the greatest Christ in South America. It is 57 meters long, but to “climb to this position” the Moura designed it with a base of 39 meters, the statue itself is 18 meters.

It is certain that the religious fervor of those who promote projects of this type must be true. Imagine also that they were, for example, an elevating version of the domes that Catholics sought in Gothic to “draw closer to God” in addition to impressing their own and others with his power. Now in the present, the possibility that in Brazil a Christ much higher than that of Corcovado remove Rio de Janeiro’s tourist magnetism it is a difficult goal to achieve. The attraction of this city is that it even has many things that, at least “Christ in the Heights”, would condemn. But on “Earth” … not always.