(CNN) – The Brazilian city of Encantado has a towering new statue of Jesus Christ, which rivals the height of the famous statue of Christ the Protector in Rio de Janeiro.
Made of steel and concrete, the statue is 43 meters (141 feet) high, 4.9 meters taller than Rio’s structure, according to the Friends of Christ Association (AACristo), the local organization responsible for building the statue.
The structure was designed by sculptor Genesio Gomez Moura and his son Marcus Moura. It will be the third tallest statue of Jesus in the world, after a 249-foot monument currently under construction in Mexico and a 172-foot figure in Poland.
Brazil is building one of the tallest statues of Jesus in the world in Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul, with a height of 43 meters (140 feet).
In a statement on the official website of Cristo Protetor de Encantado, AACristo said the statue was completed in late April, but the surrounding resort is still under construction and will not be completed until early 2023.
An elevator inside the statue is yet to be installed, according to Brazilian media. Once completed, the elevator will take visitors to an observation post at the height of Christ’s heart, rewarding them with amazing views from the top of the hill.
“This will be a glass opening from which people will be able to photograph and photograph the valley,” project leader Arthur Lopez de Souza explained on the AACristo website.
The project is expected to cost a total of about $ 353,000. AACristo wants donations to complete the project.
For now, visitors can go and admire the towering statue up close – visits are allowed on weekends, according to the Cristo Protetor de Encantado website.
It is hoped that the new statue will boost tourism in the city of Encantado and the surrounding area, which is close to Brazil’s borders with Uruguay and Argentina.
The statue of Christ the Redeemer has hung over the city of Rio de Janeiro for almost 90 years and remains one of the most famous tourist attractions in Brazil.
Photo above: drone image of the new statue in Encantado, Brazil, taken on April 29, 2022 with a drone. Photo credit to REUTERS / Diego Vara
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