<div dir="ltr"><h1>How Christ The Redeemer statue came to dominate the Rio skyline:
Fascinating photos show how iconic statue was built and the story behind
it</h1><p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3740325/How-Christ-Redeemer-statue-came-dominate-Rio-skyline-Fascinating-photos-iconic-statue-built-story-it.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3740325/How-Christ-Redeemer-statue-came-dominate-Rio-skyline-Fascinating-photos-iconic-statue-built-story-it.html</a><br></p><ul class=""><li class=""><font style="font-size:1.4em"><strong>It was built after Brazilians feared a lack of God in their lives after church and state separated in a republic</strong></font></li><li class=""><font style="font-size:1.4em"><strong>Designed in the early 1920s before opening in 1931, the designs kept changing during construction phase</strong></font></li><li class=""><font style="font-size:1.4em"><strong>The architect said: 'We were marching towards... artistic failure, without being able to go back'</strong></font></li><li class=""><font style="font-size:1.4em"><strong>Located more than 700 metres above ground, the statue i</strong><strong>s 38 metres high with an arm span of 28 metres</strong></font></li></ul><p class="">By
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Patrick+Lion+For+Mailonline" class="" rel="nofollow">Patrick Lion For Mailonline</a>
</p><p class=""><span class="">
<span class="">Published:</span>
01:06 GMT, 15 August 2016
</span>
| <span class="">
<span class="">Updated:</span>
11:17 GMT, 15 August 2016
</span>
</p><div id="articleIconLinksContainer"><div class="">
<span></span><font style="font-size:1.2em">It
has become the symbol of the host city of the 2016 Olympic Games,
towering over Rio De Janeiro as athletes from around the world compete
below.</font></div></div><div itemprop="articleBody"><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">But
the Christ The Redeemer statue - sitting 700 metres above the city's
beaches and favelas on Corcovado mountain - has a life story worthy of
Olympic legend.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">Inspired
by bolstering Christianity in the wake of Brazil becoming a republic at
the end of the 19th century, the 38-metre high statue was still being
designed and crafted by a team of artists, engineers and architects from
across the world while being built atop the mountain during the 1920s.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em">Workers
were marching towards 'inevitable artistic failure', as Brazilian
architect Heitor da Silva Costa reportedly said, without being able to
go back.</font></font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em">But they kept moving forward. </font><font style="font-size:1.2em">And the result is one of the most memorable religious, cultural, tourist and photographic sites on the planet.</font></font></p><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-d59bc4852a64be0c" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714356E00000578-3740325-image-a-128_1471202144242.jpg" alt="Workers had to scale scaffolding during the construction phase of the project during the late 1920s and early 1930s" class="" height="1544" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-1">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Workers had to scale scaffolding during the construction phase of the project during the late 1920s and early 1930s</p></div><div class=""><div class=""><div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-5fcd28e40553a0b3" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/21/3714357200000578-3740325-image-a-141_1471206633015.jpg" alt="The scaffolding looked precarious during the construction phase" class="" height="686" width="470"><div class="" id="share-pictures-2">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div></div><div class=""><div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-f9d7a899784bd68" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/21/3714357E00000578-3740325-image-a-142_1471206633046.jpg" alt="Planes circle the statue on the day of its opening" class="" height="686" width="470"><div class="" id="share-pictures-3">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div></div><p class="">The scaffolding looked precarious during the construction phase (left) before it came down for the statue's opening (right)</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-4a1ca2f0af77e74d" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/23/370B924F00000578-3740325-image-a-155_1471212237636.jpg" alt="Only the face of Jesus Christ can be seen amid the scaffoldings as workers scramble to build the project atop the mountain" class="" height="661" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-4">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Only the face of Jesus Christ can be seen amid the scaffoldings as workers scramble to build the project atop the mountain</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-5ef171433bd7b9c5" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714357600000578-3740325-image-a-123_1471202010963.jpg" alt="Construction of the Christ the Redeemer project in progress as a plane flies by over the Rio De Janeiro waterfront below" class="" height="608" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-5">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Construction of the Christ the Redeemer project in progress as a plane flies by over the Rio De Janeiro waterfront below</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-50dfab14114b3ac4" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714365500000578-3740325-image-a-78_1471201430261.jpg" alt="The photo shows the incredible height of the mountain location, allowing the statue to be viewed from multiple vantage points around Rio De Janeiro" class="" height="962" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-6">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">The photo shows the incredible height
of the mountain location, allowing the statue to be viewed from multiple
vantage points around Rio De Janeiro</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-dc75fb42d8469254" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/19/0001294100000CB2-3740325-image-a-40_1471200609771.jpg" alt="The Rio De Janeiro cityscape today with Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain in the background" class="" height="642" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-7">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">The Rio De Janeiro cityscape today with Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain in the background</p></div><br><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">The
first idea of a statue emerged in the 1850s when a local Rio De Janeiro
priest suggested placing a Christian monument on Corcovado. He
requested funds from Brazilian Princess Isabel to build one.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">However, the Princess was not enthusiastic about the project.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">By the time the Republic of Brazil was founded in 1889, separating church and statue, the idea was scrapped.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">The
project is said to have re-emerged after World War One when a group of
Brazilians, including the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro,
feared a lack of religion in Brazilian life after the separation of
Church and state in the new republic and wanted to make a bold statement
in the name of Christianity.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">There
were thoughts of using nearby Sugar Loaf Mountain - now also a major
tourist attraction - for the statue but Corcovado was chosen for its
towering height and ability to be seen from vantage points around the
city.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em">The
Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro reportedly proposed in 1921 that a statue
of Christ be built on the mountain and citizens petitioned then
President Epitácio Pessoa to allow the project to proceed.</font><font style="font-size:1.2em"> </font></font></p><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-f060df57a3e0c51b" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714367800000578-3740325-image-a-119_1471201962835.jpg" alt="The face under construction (left) as well as the giant hands - shown as three times the height of an adult (right)" class="" height="718" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-8">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">The face under construction (left) as well as the giant hands - shown as three times the height of an adult (right)</p></div><div class=""><div class=""><div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-cca52b5f86660d83" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714356400000578-3740325-image-m-139_1471202742277.jpg" alt="Part of the face right under construction" class="" height="653" width="470"><div class="" id="share-pictures-9">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div></div><div class=""><div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-9f4e87d68ce58fd" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/371091D700000578-3740325-image-a-140_1471202751989.jpg" alt="The full face began to emerge in construction of the statue." class="" height="653" width="470"><div class="" id="share-pictures-10">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div></div><p class="">Part of the face right under construction (left) before the full face of Jesus Christ began to emerge (right)</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-5a2af96e4bd4d586" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714365100000578-3740325-image-a-121_1471201995443.jpg" alt="Workers build the iconic face of Christ The Redeemer with the help of long wooden poles acting as scaffolding" class="" height="1000" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-11">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Workers build the iconic face of Christ The Redeemer with the help of long wooden poles acting as scaffolding</p></div><div class=""><div class=""><div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-b9de32ddfab56bfb" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714460800000578-3740325-image-a-101_1471201786250.jpg" alt="Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa built the statue" class="" height="402" width="308"><div class="" id="share-pictures-12">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div></div><div class=""><div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-22ee6a268d34bbd9" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714366B00000578-3740325-image-a-100_1471201786043.jpg" alt="Albert Caquot built the statue" class="" height="402" width="308"><div class="" id="share-pictures-13">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div></div><div class=""><div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-404e35c03dbfbefa" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714462C00000578-3740325-image-m-99_1471201780878.jpg" alt="Romanian artist Gheorghe Leonida worked on the face" class="" height="402" width="308"><div class="" id="share-pictures-14">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div></div><p class="">Brazilian
engineer and architect Heitor da Silva Costa (left) won the design
competition before building the statue with French engineer Albert
Caquot (centre). Romanian artist Gheorghe Leonida (right) helped work
on the face</p></div><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em">Brazilian
architect Heitor da Silva Costa won the design competition in early
1922, reportedly imagining the statue to face the rising sun. </font></font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em">'The
statue of the divine saviour shall be the first image to emerge from
the obscurity in which the earth is plunged and to receive the salute of
the star of the day which, after surrounding it with its radiant
luminosity, shall build at sunset around its head a halo fit for the
Man-God,' he said, according to the <a style="font-weight:bold" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/2014/newsspec_7141/index.html">BBC</a>.</font></font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em">An
initial design involved a statue of Christ carrying a cross in one hand
and a globe in his other hand - though this was often wrongly
interpreted at the time as a ball.</font></font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em">The foundation stone for the statue was laid in 1922.</font></font></font></p><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-d318d098f24e230e" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/37146B9600000578-3740325-French_Polish_sculptor_Paul_Landowski_the_man_behind_the_Christ_-m-136_1471202394699.jpg" alt="French-Polish sculptor Paul Landowski shown at work on a hand for the sculpture" class="" height="1306" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-15">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">French-Polish sculptor Paul Landowski shown at work on a hand for the sculpture</p></div><div class=""><div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-e115e154ba90e231" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714358600000578-3740325-image-a-89_1471201715481.jpg" alt="Landowski works next to a miniature of the statue, which would later tower 38 metres when erected on the mountain" class="" height="745" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-16">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div><p class="">Landowski works next to a miniature of the statue, which would later tower 38 metres when erected on the mountain</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-8f0f155b238ff139" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/371488BE00000578-3740325-image-a-110_1471201908980.jpg" alt="The project being constructed, but already overlooking, the port of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, circa 1930" class="" height="724" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-17">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">The project being constructed, but already overlooking, the port of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, circa 1930</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-7d84d6a6efb3c84b" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/371488AD00000578-3740325-image-a-114_1471201928719.jpg" alt="Scaffolding is seen while, at the foot of the statue, uniformed British officers of the cruiser 'Dauntless' visited the gigantic statue before its formal unveiling" class="" height="1255" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-18">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Scaffolding is seen while, at the foot
of the statue, uniformed British officers of the cruiser 'Dauntless'
visited the gigantic statue before its formal unveiling</p></div><div class=""><a name="video" class=""></a><div class="">
<div id="p-57" class="" style="width:964px">
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</div>
</div><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em">But
the design and finish had still not been finalised - and would not be
for years, even as a steel frame was erected on the top of the mountain
well into the late 1920s.</font></font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em"><font style="font-size:1.2em"> </font>'We were marching towards the inevitable artistic failure, without being able to go back,' Silva Costa reportedly said. </font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">A
defining moment in the project came when the design, now utilizing the
skills of artist Carlos Oswald, instead made Christ himself the cross -
an iconic symbol that would tower over Rio. </font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">Da
Silva Costa is said to have visited Europe in 1924 to seek help from
the leading French engineer with reinforced concrete, Albert Caquot,
meeting a range of sculptors along the way.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">Polish-French
sculptor Paul Landowski was chosen. He has been praised as the man
behind the design of the figure's head and hands, with the BBC saying he
produced the pieces full-sized in clay before shipping them to Brazl to
be reproduced in concrete.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">Silva Costa was not a fan of concrete as a finish. Too rough and crude, he thought. </font></p><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-a84a84cb7e060c0e" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/371488A300000578-3740325-image-a-117_1471201942878.jpg" alt="The finishing touches are applied to the statue ahead of its opening to an eager Brazilian public in October 1931" class="" height="767" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-19">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">The finishing touches are applied to the statue ahead of its opening to an eager Brazilian public in October 1931</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-34bfea9dc4f4d9a8" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/371488C600000578-3740325-image-a-112_1471201922945.jpg" alt="The statue during the opening on October 12, 1931 after almost a decade of designs and construction" class="" height="1304" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-20">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">The statue during the opening on October 12, 1931 after almost a decade of designs and construction</p></div><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">Then he walked past a fountain covered in a silvery mosaic in an arcade on the Champs Elysees in Paris.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">'By
seeing how the small tiles covered all the curved profiles of the
fountain, I was soon taken by the idea of using them on the image which I
always had in my thoughts,' wrote Silva Costa according to the BBC.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">Caquot
was enlisted to help build the project under Silva Costa's
supervision. The materials were carried up the mountain by a railway. </font></p><div class=""><div class="">
<div id="p-62" class="" style="width:964px">
<div>
</div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" id="v-1973195981843613673">
</div></div><div class=""><div class=""><div id="p-62" class="" style="width:964px"><div>
</div>
<br></div>
</div>
</div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-b2ff391e508e2f0f" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714644900000578-3740325-image-a-102_1471201826493.jpg" alt="The statue appears surrounded by scaffoldings for a cleaning operation in March 2010" class="" height="640" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-21">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">The statue appears surrounded by scaffoldings for a cleaning operation in March 2010</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-c9d9bdc5725e2752" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/20/3714644100000578-3740325-image-a-104_1471201833790.jpg" alt="Workers climb the scaffolding surrounding the Christ the Redeemer statue during the March 2010 cleaning operation" class="" height="1129" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-22">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Workers climb the scaffolding surrounding the Christ the Redeemer statue during the March 2010 cleaning operation</p></div><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">When
the statue was opened on October 12, 1931, the finished statue was 38
metres tall, including the 8-metre pedestal, with arms that stretched 28
metres wide.</font></p><p class=""><font style="font-size:1.2em">The cost was reportedly USD $250,000 - about $3.4million in today's money, according to <a style="font-weight:bold" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.newsday.com/sports/olympics/rio-olympics-2016-christ-the-redeemer-cristo-redentor-statue-fun-facts-1.12122616">Newsday</a>.</font></p><p class="">Located
at the peak of the 700-metre Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest
National Park overlooking the beaches and favelas of Rio, it quickly
became a defining image of Rio De Janeiro and Brazil.</p><p class="">As
it was first imagined, it has also become one of the most memorable
images of Christianity on the planet - with even papal visits occurring.</p><p class="">The
statue has become one of the Seven New Wonders of The World - alongside
far older structures such as The Colosseum in Rome and the Great Wall
of China.<a id="ext-gen63" class="" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1320430/Well-endowed-pole-vaulter-suffers-unfortunate-Olympic-mishap.html">
</a>
</p><div itemprop="articleBody"><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-7d0fdb1e835e1338" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/19/3118D2CD00000578-3740325-image-a-55_1471200793911.jpg" alt="A common sight in Rio is the statue emerging out of morning fog, before the weather clears and thousands of tourists climb the mountain to get views up and down the city's coastline, including nearby Copacabana Beach to the right" class="" height="641" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-23">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">A common sight in Rio is the statue
emerging out of morning fog, before the weather clears and thousands of
tourists climb the mountain to get views up and down the city's
coastline, including nearby Copacabana Beach to the right</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-7055371a398b4963" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/19/0A20EFA200000514-3740325-image-a-51_1471200749595.jpg" alt="Lightning strikes next to the statue Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 16, 2014" class="" height="659" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-24">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Lightning strikes next to the statue Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 16, 2014</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-645f6cf922714a8e" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/21/370B61E300000578-3740325-image-a-147_1471208365570.jpg" alt="The lighting strikes around the statue in January 2016 are one of the more memorable ways the statue has been seen" class="" height="642" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-25">
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</div> <p class="">The lighting strikes around the statue in January 2016 are one of the more memorable ways the statue has been seen</p></div><p class="">Still, the work has continued atop Corcovado.</p><p class="">Modern
luxuries such as escalators and elevators have been added in recent
decades to ease the stair climb for tourists making the pilgrimage to
the statue, especially in big numbers during the recent hosting of the
FIFA World Cup in 2014 and now the Olympics.</p><p class="">The statue has undergone cleaning renovations including <font style="font-size:1.2em">a thorough cleaning in 1980, in preparation for the visit of Pope John Paul II that year, according to <a style="font-weight:bold" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christ-the-Redeemer">Encyclopaedia Britannica</a>. Another cleaning project in March 2010 repaired and refurbished the surface. </font></p><p class="">On
the 75th anniversary of the statue's opening, in 2006, a chapel was
consecrated to Our Lady of Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil.</p><p class="">The
statue has also become synonymous with visiting celebrities, from
Princess Diana to, more recently, the USA Men's Basketball Team during
the games. </p><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-47c52e016cc0c374" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/19/2070FEE200000578-3740325-image-a-54_1471200790451.jpg" alt="A supermoon is pictured behind the Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil" class="" height="641" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-26">
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</div> <p class="">A supermoon is pictured behind the Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-a4710b810473c905" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/19/0075F4DE00000258-3740325-image-a-74_1471201038271.jpg" alt="The statue on top of Corcovado looking over Botafogo cove, the Pan de Azucar and Sugar Loaf mountain" class="" height="639" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-27">
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</div> <p class="">The statue on top of Corcovado looking over Botafogo cove, the Pan de Azucar and Sugar Loaf mountain</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-8f15107b041cc027" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/19/26B9697600000578-3740325-image-a-58_1471200819084.jpg" alt="Daredevil photographer Thiago Correa reached the top of his career by snapping what has been described as the ultimate selfie from the top of the statue. With a snap that's not for the faint-hearted, Thiago, 27, from Brazil reached new dizzying heights by climbing to the head of the 124ft Brazilian landmark to capture a view of Rio that very few have seen before" class="" height="1281" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-28">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Daredevil photographer Thiago Correa
reached the top of his career by snapping what has been described as the
ultimate selfie from the top of the statue. With a snap that's not for
the faint-hearted, Thiago, 27, from Brazil reached new dizzying heights
by climbing to the head of the 124ft Brazilian landmark to capture a
view of Rio that very few have seen before</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-c7c2cac5ffb03442" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/21/3713EC1600000578-3740325-image-a-143_1471206691151.jpg" alt="The altitude of the statue means it can be seen from many Olympic Games events... including the Czech men's fours rowing team who were carrying their boat at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas last week" class="" height="642" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-29">
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</div> <p class="">The altitude of the statue means it
can be seen from many Olympic Games events... including the Czech men's
fours rowing team who were carrying their boat at Lagoa Rodrigo de
Freitas last week</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-3bbde04767c6675b" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/15/01/373811A800000578-3740325-image-a-1_1471222641948.jpg" alt="Athletes compete in the women's marathon during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the statue Christ the Redeemer stands in the background" class="" height="637" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-30">
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</div> <p class="">Athletes compete in the women's
marathon during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the
statue Christ the Redeemer stands in the background</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-185fad9d9dec63d2" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/15/01/3739AE5D00000578-3740325-image-a-3_1471222646702.jpg" alt="Competitors are seen running past Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer statue during the Women's Marathon" class="" height="1443" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-31">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Competitors are seen running past Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer statue during the Women's Marathon</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-b436af0ccc563a9d" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/23/370BA37100000578-3740325-image-a-153_1471212219620.jpg" alt="Tourists enjoy the statue from close up on top of the mountain after travelling to the statue on a railway" class="" height="1300" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-32">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Tourists enjoy the statue from close up on top of the mountain after travelling to the statue on a railway</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-34e905ef80a7e675" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/22/370B61BB00000578-3740325-image-a-149_1471209747133.jpg" alt="Princess Diana posing for photographers next to the monument of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro in April 1991" class="" height="1504" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-33">
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</div> <p class="">Princess Diana posing for photographers next to the monument of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro in April 1991</p></div><div class=""><div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-ce5ee41bd0849022" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/19/370FF36600000578-3740325-image-m-61_1471200859098.jpg" alt="The USA Basketball Men's National Team visited the statue on August 9 during the Olympics" class="" height="642" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-34">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div><p class=""> The USA Basketball Men's National Team visited the statue on August 9 during the Olympics</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-a9f3eae9a6a2c418" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/22/370FF31200000578-3740325-RIO_DE_JANEIRO_BRAZIL_AUGUST_9_Kyle_Lowry_7_and_DeMar_DeRozan_9_-m-151_1471209838670.jpg" alt="Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan of the USA Basketball Men's National Team pose during the visit to Christ the Redeemer" class="" height="638" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-35">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class=""> Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan of the USA Basketball Men's National Team pose during the visit to Christ the Redeemer</p></div><div class=""> <div class="">
<div style="" class=""><img id="i-1ea0e53e88831c2a" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/14/19/36F4546700000578-3740325-image-a-43_1471200635572.jpg" alt="Adriana Lima, the Brazilian model and actress, visits Christ the Redeemer during an interview during the Olympic Games" class="" height="718" width="962"><div class="" id="share-pictures-36">
</div><div class=""><span>+36</span></div></div>
</div> <p class="">Adriana Lima, the Brazilian model and actress, visits Christ the Redeemer during an interview during the Olympic Games</p></div></div>
<div style="" class="" id="inread-player">
</div><div style="overflow:hidden;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-align:left;text-decoration:none;border:medium none"><br>Read more: <a style="color:rgb(0,51,153)" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3740325/How-Christ-Redeemer-statue-came-dominate-Rio-skyline-Fascinating-photos-iconic-statue-built-story-it.html#ixzz4HViXnRdZ">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3740325/How-Christ-Redeemer-statue-came-dominate-Rio-skyline-Fascinating-photos-iconic-statue-built-story-it.html#ixzz4HViXnRdZ</a>
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