A towering Jesus statue in a small Brazilian town just usurped Rio de Janiero’s famed Christ the Redeemer.
Rio Grande du Sol, population 22,880, now boasts a statue called “Christ the Protector,’’ which is more than 140 feet tall — well higher than Rio’s 98-foot Redeemer.
The most notable feature of the new statue — which was completed April 22 — is an elevator leading to a heart-shaped lookout point at 112 feet.
“It will be a glass opening from where people will be able to film and photograph the valley,” said head project supervisor Artur Lopes de Souza to the Web site of the Friends of Christ Association that funded the statue.
The towering statue, called “Christ the Protector”, was erected in the small Brazilian town of Rio Grande du Sol. EPA
The Jesus statue is more than 140 feet tall — higher than Rio de Janiero’s famed 98-foot “Christ the Redeemer.” EPA
The new “Christ the Protector” statue was completed April 22, and cost $350,000 to erect. REUTERS
Officials are planning to build a tourist complex at the base of the statue to make it an attraction. AFP via Getty ImagesThe statue cost $350,000 to erect.
Despite the towering statue’s location 975 miles from Brazil’s massive famous city of Rio, Rio Grande du Sol officials have high expectations for their attraction — especially after they finish building a tourist complex at the statue’s base featuring shops, restaurants and viewing points.
Still, even while it beats out Rio’s legendary statue, Christ the protector is not the world’s tallest.
The new statue features an elevator that leads to a heart-shaped lookout point at 112 feet. REUTERS
The famed “Christ the Redeemer” statue overlooking Rio de Janiero is 98 feet tall. Antonio Lacerda/EPA-EFE/ShuttersWith a 90-foot wingspan, it is the third highest Jesus statue in the world, trumped by the Jesu Buntu Burake in Indonesia and Christ the King in Poland, which are both more than 172 feet tall.
