Rio announces re-opening of Christ the Redeemer statue

Christ the Redeemer statue re-opens in Rio de Janeiro

Following a four-month facelift and £2.7 million in public and private donations, Rio de Janeiro’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue has re-opened to the world.

The 80-year-old monument, which depicts Jesus Christ standing with his arms outstretched, was closed earlier this year due to water and weather damage to its face and hands. A team of 100 restorers and volunteers set about repairing the statue – an arduous task which resulted in using 60,000 pieces of stone from the same quarry that was used to mine the material for the original structure in 1931.

The statue, which stands at the summit of Corcovado Hill overlooking Rio’s beautiful coastline, was illuminated in green and gold light at its grand unveiling in honour of the Brazilian football team’s 2010 World Cup campaign.

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