Brazil’s New Statue of Jesus Is Among the World’s Tallest

Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue may be one of the top tourist attractions in all of Brazil, but visitors a little further south in the country will now be able to enjoy a new, taller statue of Jesus Christ in the town of Encantado. Locally known as the Cristo Protetor de Encantado, the 141-foot statue was officially completed at the end of April after three years of work, according to CNN.

Designed by Genésio Gomes Moura and his son, Markus Moura, the steel and concrete statue is far more detailed than Rio de Janeiro’s 91 year old soapstone iteration. More life-like hair, facial features, and a fuller robe were created for the Encantado statue, but, stylistically, it shares an Art Deco-leaning style with Rio’s Christ the Redeemer. Given that the new statue enjoys nearly a century’s worth of technical progress, it features another major update: an elevator. At the center of Christ’s statue, a glass heart is featured as a lookout point for tourists to ride up and enjoy the region’s natural beauty. The local Friends of Christ Association (AACristo) is paying for the impressive structure with a reported total cost of $353,000. The association is currently accepting donations to help offset the fee.

The statue is now the third largest of Jesus Christ in the world, behind the Christ the King statue, in Poland, which measures at 172 feet, and a 252-foot-tall statue in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, which is currently being built. While the surrounding tourist pavilion won’t be ready for a full stream of visitors until early next year, visitors are welcome to come marvel at the statue up close every Saturday and Sunday, with tickets and more information available on the attraction’s website.