There is a popular myth that Christ the Redeemer was a French gift, but the truth is that it was entirely funded by Brazilian citizens.
Whenever the conversation about major world monuments comes up, a very popular myth begs to be repeated: the idea that Christ the Redeemer was a gift from the French government to Brazil, similar to what happened with the Statue of Liberty in the United States. But the truth is quite different and much more local!
Brazil's symbol monument was entirely funded by donations from Brazilian citizens. In the 1920s, the Catholic Church led a huge and successful nationwide fundraising campaign, called the "Monument's Crusade", which gathered contributions from thousands of people to build the statue on top of Mount Corcovado.
The international confusion, however, has an explanation. Although the genius of the architectural and engineering project belongs to the Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa, the statue was actually sculpted in France by the renowned Franco-Polish sculptor Paul Landowski. The plaster hands and head were made in Paris and later shipped to Brazil, where the reinforced concrete and soapstone monument was finally assembled.
Cariocando Tip: When visiting Christ the Redeemer, notice the outer coating. It is covered by millions of small soapstone triangles, hand-glued by dozens of local women at the time. It is a true artisanal work of art 700 meters above sea level!
