The Corcovado reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
(provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Corcovado

Time you got around to sponsoring a child

Image:Staty.jpg
Cristo Redentor
"Christ the Redeemer"
Corcovado's Statue
of the Christ

Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro is the site of a 30-meter statue of Jesus Christ. The statue stands at the top of a 710 meter high mountain, overlooking the city. The statue became a symbol of the city and the affection of the people, who receives visitors with open arms.

The Statue of the Christ started planning construction in 1921, when a campaign was organized by the "Semana do Monumento". They collected contributions from Catholics and others. The first designs for the Statue of the Christ represented having a cross, some had the statue with a globe in the hands, others on a pedestal that the world would symbolize. The form of the image of the redeemer of opened arms was chosen. The execution of the workmanship (from French schematics) was done by a Polish sculptor, Paul Landowski.