Statues of Jesus Christ can be found anywhere in the world. Most of the monuments are considered by Christians as their shrines, making pilgrimages to their places of residence. However, some statues gained more fame than others. They are examples of the titanic labor of engineers, workers, and philanthropists who have obtained permission to install them. To erect a monument to the central figure of the Christian faith, people overcome any obstacles that allow you to create real works of art.
Christianity is the most popular religion with more than 2 billion followers around the world. Therefore, a huge number of churches and religious monuments around the world should not surprise anyone. Moreover, if inside the churches there are life-size monuments to Jesus, then truly huge monuments are erected outside them. In different corners of the Earth, statues may differ, which indicates the difference in cultures of the vision of Jesus from different nations. Here are 15 of the most famous statues of Jesus scattered around the world.
15
Blessing of Christ, Indonesia
This is one of the most beautiful statues of Jesus in the world. It was built in 2007 on top of a high hill in the city of Manado. The height of the Indonesian monument is 50 meters (with a pedestal), which makes the statue one of the highest in the world.
Did you know that Indonesia is the largest island nation in the world? On our site TheBiggest.ru you can find a complete list of such countries.
14
Christ from the Abyss, Mediterranean Sea
The installation of the statue at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea dates from 1954. It is located near the Italian city of Genoa and has several copies around the world that are given the same name. In particular, "Christ from the Abyss" is near Grenada and Key Largo. Imagine the surprise and joy of diving people when they find a statue of Jesus 2.5 meters high at a depth of more than 15 meters. It is interesting that the statue in the Italian Riviera was erected not only for the glory of the Savior, but also as a symbol of the memory of Dario Gonzatti, who was an Italian scuba diver. He died in the 1940s at the site of the installation of the monument.
13
Christ the Savior in Dili, East Timor
The separation of East Timor from Indonesia was accompanied by outbreaks of violence and armed clashes in the streets. Fortunately, the conflict was resolved, and the separation resulted in a gift from the Indonesian government, which presented the newly-made state with the monument to Christ the Savior at the beginning of the 21st century. This statue immediately became a place of pilgrimage for Christians and the main point of visit for tourists of the capital city of Dili. It is noteworthy that the material for Cristo Ray is not one of the rocks, but copper. It includes 27 elements made in Indonesia, and assembled together in East Timor.
12
Statue of Christ the Redeemer, Italy
One of the main attractions of the resort town of Maratea, located in the south of the country, is a statue of Christ the Redeemer. It is located on the hill of San Biagio, towering over the whole city. In terms of height (more than 300 meters) it is the highest in Europe. The Cristo Redentore Monument was built with the money of just one person. The patron was a native of Northern Italy, Stefano Rivetti, on whose funds a monument to the Savior was erected in 1965. Marble of the original color with blue-gray and snow-white tones made the material for the statue. The 22-meter-high Christ the Redeemer in Maratea allows the statue to be included in the 20 highest world monuments to Jesus.
11
Statue of the Lord Christ, Colombia
The Colombian city of Cali is known not only for the mafia cartel, but also for the imposing statue of the Lord Christ, located above the village on Mount Los Cristales (Crystal). The monument was erected in the first half of the 50s of the XX century, and was to become a symbol of protection for all residents of Kali. Climbing the mountain, tourists will be able to see a wonderful panorama, but the path will not be easy, about 1,500 km up. Most people perceive the ascent to Christ as a kind of test, while others do not “sweat” and just hire a taxi.
10
Christ Statue in Vung Tau, Vietnam
This huge statue of Jesus Christ was built for about 20 years in the period 1970-1990. It was erected with funds raised by the Vietnamese Catholic minority. The Monument of Christ in Vung Tau stands on Mount Nho. It is the third tallest in the world with an indicator of 36 meters (together with a pedestal). Tourists are invited to climb the stairs mounted on a pedestal. Once at the top of the monument of granite and concrete, people observe stunning views of the sea surface, opening before your eyes. Interestingly, the material for the halo was not chosen by chance. Metal not only looks more presentable, but also serves as a lightning rod.
9
Cristo Rey, Portugal
The name of this monument is translated as Christ the King. Its construction lasted 10 years from 1949 to 1959. It is believed that the construction of the statue was planned back in 1940, Christ the King was to protect the people of Portugal from World War II. Another version is more prosaic, she says that the Portuguese cardinal, impressed by the Christ the Redeemer monument in Rio de Janeiro, became the inspiration for the project. The monument stands in the city of Almada, towering over the entire village.
In favor of the first version is the fact that the monument was erected mainly through donations from women. Thus, they thanked the Lord for not allowing the deaths of the male population. Interestingly, the height of the statue itself does not reach 30 meters, while the base rises to 75 meters. It turns out that if you put together the two components of the statue, it will become the highest monument to Christ in the world.
8
Christ of Forgiveness, Nicaragua
This statue is one of the few private monuments of Christ. The Christ of Forgiveness was built by a businessman from Nicaragua engaged in the tourism business. He erected a monument 26 meters high on his own site, though this does not mean that you can only look at the monument to Jesus from afar. God-fearing owner allows everyone to come. The monument stands in the resort town of San Juan del Sur, taking first place in height among the monuments to Jesus in Central America.
7
Cristo de la Concordia, Bolivia
In principle, the Bolivian “Christ of Concord” monument can be called the highest in the world, since its total height exceeds 40 meters. The weight of the statue is about 2.2 thousand tons. The monument stands on the hill of San Pedro, which makes it also the highest located above sea level. If you want to get to the statue in Cochabamba, you will have to overcome about 2,000 steps, after which another 1,400 steps will lead you to the observation deck, equipped at the level of the head of Christ. It is important to remember that the observation deck is open only on Sundays. For the convenience of tourists, there is a cable car, regular buses and private transportation services.
By the way, there is an interesting article about the fastest buses in the world on our site thebiggest.ru.
6
Statue of Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
Today, the statue of Christ the Redeemer is one of the seven new wonders of the world; it occupies the fifth highest place among all the monuments of Jesus Christ in the world. The height of the monument is 30 meters, the performance of the monument is 8 meters. The monument was built long ago (1926-1931) and was repeatedly subjected to strong lightning strikes (several times a year). In 2010, after another blow, part of the statue was destroyed. After reconstruction, lightning rods were attached to the head, arms and hands of Christ. The idea of erecting a monument was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the independence of the Brazilian state. He is one of the main symbols of Brazil in general, and Rio de Janeiro in particular, repeatedly appearing in feature films, television shows, and even computer games.
5
Monument to the “Divine Savior of the World”, El Salvador
In the capital of El Salvador, the city of San Salvador, there is a unique statue of Jesus Christ. Its construction dates back to 1942, the statue depicts the Savior, standing on the globe, erected on a pedestal. Moreover, if the statue of Christ has a white tint, then the globe is made two-tone, with a blue tone (oceans). The base of the monument is made of concrete and granite. Initially, the monument was in monochrome, but after the reconstruction of 2010 it was repainted. The restoration of the statue was needed due to the earthquake that destroyed the “Divine Savior of the World” in 1986.
4
Cristo del Sagrado Corazon, Mexico
Perhaps the statue of "Christ of the Sacred Heart" 9 km from Rosarito is the most modern and technological. The uniqueness of this Mexican monument in the material and design of the sculpture. It is made from a combination of steel and fiberglass, and it is especially surprising that Jesus is made in color. For Christians, this is quite unusual, since usually the monuments of Christ look monochrome. Nevertheless, the residents of Rosarito are proud of their monument, considering it the most beautiful in the world. We will not argue with them, especially knowing the hot-tempered nature of local residents.
3
Christ with the Cross, Italy
This statue of Christ is one of the oldest in the world. Michelangelo himself worked on the creation of the sculpture. Interestingly, the great creator did not complete his work, discovering a black vein in marble. Completed the creation of the monument (right hand and head) in the XVII century. Immediately after its creation, it was transferred to Michelangelo in the Basilica of St. Mary above Minerva, in Rome, but was lost over time. The second version of the statue, which was completed by Federico Fritzi, gained fame. It is very popular among tourists, despite its relatively small dimensions, the height of Christ is only 2 meters. And the first version was found at the beginning of the XXI century in the town of Viterbo.
2
Cristo del Otero, Spain
On the outskirts of the ancient Spanish city of Palencia stands a monument to Jesus Christ, striking in its design. It was built in the early 30s of the XX century by the famous sculptor Victorio Macho. The monument is made in the style of art deco, which explains the sophisticated forms of the monument, which seems incredibly thin and tall. The creator of this architectural monument was buried at its base. Today, Cristo del Otero is visited annually by millions of tourists and Christian pilgrims.
1
Statue of Christ the King, Poland
The “youngest” of the monuments presented in the article - Christ the King, was built in the Polish city of Swiebodzin in 2010. If you take into account the mound and crown, it becomes the tallest monument in the world to Jesus (sometimes it seems that each statue claims to be the most high on a separate version, but what to do). The total height of the monument is more than 52 meters. The idea to build a monument belongs to the local priest Sylvester Zavadsky. After 8 years of planning, construction began, which cost $ 1.4 million. Construction money was accumulated from donations.
An interesting fact: a Wi Fi transmitter is mounted in the crown of Christ, which has given rise to many jokes about Jesus distributing the Internet.
Finally
All presented monuments are the best and most famous for the local population and many tourists. And what monuments to Jesus do you think should be on this list? Waiting for your answers in the comments!