Cristo Redentor: Arms Wide Open Quiz

Answer: The statue holds a cross and a globe

The Christ the Redeemer statue is one of the largest art deco statues in the world. The simple design of Christ with his arms open wide appears from a distance to be in the form of a cross. He is not holding anything in his hands. The statue is 98 ft (30 m) tall statue and sits upon a 26 ft (8 m) tall pedestal. The statue faces east and the arms respectively point to the north and south.

The landmark was cited as one of the reasons that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) designated Rio de Janeiro as a World Heritage site in 2012. The statue was also designated as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World in 2007.

Answer: Dona Isabel, Princess Imperial

In the mid-1850s, Pedro Maria Boss and a group of friends climbed to the top of Mount Corcovado. He was so inspired by the setting, that he began to dream about the possibility of creating a religious monument there. In 1859, Boss presented his proposal for the "Cristo Redentor" to Isabella, the daughter and heir of Dom Pedro II, then Emperor of Brazil.

He offered to construct it in her honor. Unfortunately, she was not interested. In 1903, he published a poem in which he spoke of waiting for the day when the statue would be a reality.

Answer: The Catholic Circle

When Brazil adopted a new constitution in 1891, the separation of church and state entered into force. Until that time, Catholicism had been the official religion and, consequently, the Catholic Church had been subsidized by the State. At the start of the 20th century, the Church was looking for ways to strengthen its base.

A small group called the Círculo Católico or the "Catholic Circle" came together to find ways to raise the Church's profile. One of its members came up with the idea of moving forward with idea proposed originally by Pedro Maria Boss in 1859. Efforts were begun to get public support for the idea, which led to a petition drive.

There was immediately a lot of support for the project, especially from women. It is estimated that one woman, Laurita Lacerda, was alone responsible for obtaining over 20,000 signatures.

Some sources estimate that over 100,000 signatures were eventually submitted. Because of the high level of support, building permission was granted.

Answer: Heitor da Silva Costa

In 1922, a panel of judges selected the design of Heitor da Silva Costa for the statue. His proposal, which drew on the original vision of Father Pedro Maria Boss from seventy years before, was of a bronze statue of Christ holding a huge cross and a ball to represent the world. Although it won the competition, the design met with considerable derision. It also soon became clear that the plan presented several significant technical problems. Silva Costa went back to the drawing board. He decided it would be preferable for the monument to take the form of a cross. He also knew that he wanted the statue to be of gigantic proportions so it would be seen from throughout Rio.

Silva Costa decided to consult other experts, the first being the artist Carlos Oswald. Sources differ as to which of the two came up with the idea, but the drawing resulting from their collaboration was of a simplified design having the statue of Christ itself being in the form of a cross, with Christ's arms open wide to the sides.

Answer: Welsh engineer Edward Maes Llaned Owen

In 1923 or 1924 (sources vary) Silva Costa traveled to Europe, where he met first with Albert Caquot, a well-known French engineer. Caquot convinced Silva Costa that reinforced concrete was the best medium for the project because it would be less resistant to corrosion. Caquot also provided valuable engineering for the internal construction of the statue.

Silva Costa commissioned the French-Polish sculptor Paul Landowski to make a model of the statue and to create molds for both the head and hands. Landowski began to enhance the design and played with its proportions, figuring out the best head-to-body ratio for the statue to appear tall when seen from a distance. The result was very much art deco in style, with stylised, long flowing lines. Despite his significant contributions to the work, Landowski was never able to travel to Brazil to see the finished statue.

Finally, Silva Costa charged the Romanian artist Gheorghe Leonida with sculpting the face of the Redeemer, one of the most delicate parts of the statue.

Answer: From a fountain in an arcade along the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France

Heitor da Silva Costa was dissatisfied with initial plans for the statue to be made entirely of reinforced concrete. He considered several different coverings, but none were satisfactory. During his travels in France, Silva Costa happened to take a walk along the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris.

There, in an arcade, he saw a fountain with a silver mosaic exterior, precisely what he was seeking. Instead of metal, Silva Costa decided to create a mosaic covering out of soapstone triangles, which would have strong resistance to damage.

Although some sources suggest that the soapstone came from Sweden, several reputable sources, among them Silva Costa's great-granddaughter, confirmed that the soapstone was from quarries near Oura Preto in the state of the Minas Gerais in Brazil.

Answer: Both of them

The people of Rio de Janeiro played active roles in making the statue possible. In addition to the petitions which led to approval for the project, local citizens also played critical roles in raising funds for the project and in assisting with some of the construction.

By the time it opened in 1931, the statute had cost approximately $200,000 to build. The Archdiocese of Rio, assisted by the Catholic Circle was responsible for finding the funding. In 1923, they started the first fund-raising drive. Numerous volunteers could be seen throughout the city asking for donations. Two similar fundraising efforts were needed to complete the project.

Women from the Catholic parishes of Rio de Janeiro volunteered as soapstone workers, gluing tens of thousands of small soapstone tile together on mesh or paperboard. Tile setters, in turn, fastened these sheets to the concrete base. According to some sources, the statue required around six million of the soapstone tiles.

Answer: By aerial cable car

While there is a cable car to the top of nearby Sugarloaf Mountain, there is not one on Mount Corcovado. The Christ the Redeemer statue can be reached via a cogwheel train, bus or van, or on foot.

The 2.4 mi/3.8 km cog and rack railway, inaugurated in 1884, was used during the construction of the statue. Today, it carries tourists from Rio de Janeiro to the top of Mount Corcovado. Cog and rack rail systems consist of a third rail with teeth running between two regular rails. The trains have a cog wheel that turns and meshes with the teeth of the central line, providing more stability on steep grades.

While private cars are unable to drive to the entrance of the statue, there are city-run buses and shuttle vans available from designated parking lots.

Climbing to the top of Mount Corcovado by foot is possible. The hike takes between two and three hours.

Answer: Lightning strike

Because of its location atop Corcovado Mountain, the statue experiences three to five lightning strikes each year, most of them harmless. Particularly strong strikes in 2008 and 2014 broke off parts of fingers and damaged the head. These are particularly susceptible, as the tiles used on those parts of the body were thinner to give more leeway to artistic expression.

The Archdiocese of Rio kept a stock of the original soapstone for early repairs.

Answer: The Freedom of Panorama Exception

While specific provisions vary from country to country, in general, "Freedom of Panorama Exceptions" allow people to photograph without permission works of art permanently installed in public spaces. This exception applies to both personal and commercial uses, such as travel books, postcards, and social media. Brazil uses a broad panorama exception, but it still does not abrogate the copyright holders rights entirely.

The Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro has on several occasions threatened to sue groups they felt abused the exception. One example was Columbia Pictures, which incorporated the statue into film promotion posters. Another case involved the Italian national broadcasting company RAI, which had shown it wearing an Italian jersey.