Statues of Christ Trivia Quiz

Answer: Brazil

Known in English as Christ the Redeemer (as would be most of the statues to come), the 30-metre high Art Deco statue which looms over Rio de Janeiro from the peak of Corcavado Mountain has got to be part of your photo collection. Built between 1922 and 1931, this statue provided the inspiration for many similar constructions around the world.

Although it is not the largest of the statues we will visit, its location makes it one of the, if not the, most prominent. A poll early in the 21st century to identify the New7Wonders of the World (looking for monuments that are still standing, unlike most of the traditional Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) included this statue as the most recently-constructed member of the group.

Answer: Bolivia

Christ of Peace is located on top of San Pedro Hill, near the city of Cochabamba in the Bolivian Andes Mountains. Built between 1987 and 1994, it is remarkably similar to Christ the Redeemer in Rio. Well, maybe not all that remarkable, since that statue was the model on which this one was based.

When it was completed, it was the largest statue of Christ in the world, with a height of 34.20 metres. If you want to have your picture taken in front of Christ of Peace, you can get there by climbing up a flight of just over 2,000 steps, or take a cable car ride up the mountain.

Answer: Argentina/Chile border

Christ the Redeemer of the Andes was built in the early 20th century on the border of Argentina and Chile to commemorate the settling of a border dispute between the two countries. The 7-metre high bronze statue has been reconstructed several times over the years, as the harsh environment causes sever weathering of the materials.

It is located at the pass which marks the highest point of the old road (now only used by tourists, following the construction of the nearby Cristo Redentor tunnel) between Mendoza in Argentina and Santiago in Chile. To get there (which is really only possible in the summer, due to heavy snows in the winter), you will need to drive from the village of Las Cuevas, along a narrow and winding mountain road.

While you are getting your photo taken, you might like to take the time to read the plaque at the base which reads (roughly translated from the Spanish), "Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust than Chile and Argentina shall break the peace which at the feet of Christ the Redeemer they have sworn to maintain."

Answer: Peru

The 22-metre high Christ of the Pacific was unveiled in Lima in 2011, a gift from a number of Brazilian companies. It is slightly smaller than the original in Rio of which it is a reduced-scale copy. It is located on a hill above the beach resort district of Chorillos, where you can also visit the planetarium.

While you're in Lima, you might like to tour the many cathedrals, including the Sanctuary of Las Nazarenas, which is where you will see the painting known as the Lord of Miracles, a painting which is the focus of a major celebration in October each year.

Answer: Mexico

This copy of Rio's Christ the Redeemer is officially called Christ the King, but is most commonly referred to by the name of the hill on which it stands, Dice Cup Hill, which is located near the city of Silao, in the state of Guanajuato. Smack dab in the geographical middle of Mexico, it is considered one of the country's most significant religious sites.

The current Cristo Rey statue was completed in 1950, replacing an earlier (and smaller) one that had been destroyed in 1928. The current statue stands on top of a church housed in a domed marble building with multiple slots permitting the entry of light.

At the base of the statue are two angels, one holding a crown of thorns (as traditionally worn by Christ at the time of crucifixion) and one holding a traditional crown (to represent his position as king).

Answer: Cuba

Christ of Havana, while also inspired by Rio's Christ the Redeemer, does not show a figure with outstretched arms, but has the two arms in front of the body, with the right hand elevated in a gesture suggesting a blessing. Locals, however, like to say that it is in the position to hold a cigar, and the other hand for a mojito.

The statue, built out of Carera marble imported from Italy after being blessed by Pope Pius XII, was inaugurated on 24 December 1958, just a little more than a fortnight before Fidel Castro arrived in Havana, marking the end of the revolution that overthrew Fulgencia Batista and initiated a socialist government in Cuba.

Answer: United States

When Gerald Smith retired from politics and settled in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, he planned to build a religious theme park on his estate, with this statue as one of the features, but the plans were not fulfilled. The statue was actually completed in 1966, on top of nearby Magnetic Mountain.

Its outspread, rigid arms suggest the cross on which Christ was crucified, unlike the gentler pose seen on many other Christ statues. Smith and his wife were both buried near the completed statue. Also nearby is another part of his project, an amphitheatre where a Passion Play, inspired by that of Oberammergau in Germany, is performed regularly on nights between May and October.

Answer: Nigeria

Located in the Imo state village of Abajah, this is the largest statue of Christ in Africa, and one of the largest statues in the continent, standing 8.54 metres tall, and made from 40 tons of white marble. The statue was commissioned by Obinna Onuoha in 2013, and its unveiling on New Year's Day of 2016 fulfilled his dream of nearly 20 years.

The statue shows Jesus in bare feet, with arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture.

Answer: Italy

The first Christ of the Abyss is to be found, as the name suggests, submerged in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of the Italian Riviera. It is near the abbey of San Fruttuoso, where it was installed in 1954, in water with a depth of 17 metres. Because it is underwater, the face of the bronze statue is lifted upwards, and the extended arms also reach towards the sky.

The statue was restored (due to corrosion and some damage caused by passing boats) in 2004. Several other statues cast from the same mold have been placed in other underwater spots, including one off the coast of Grenada, and one near Key Largo, Florida.

Answer: Portugal

This cement statue of Christ the King in the Portuguese town of Almada is across the Tagus River from Lisbon, was built after the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon visited Rio in 1934, and was inspired to provide a similar monument for his city. The project was approved in 1940, construction started in 1949, and the statue was completed in 1959. Built on a riverside cliff, the monument consists of a pedestal which is 82 metres high, on top of which stands the 28-metre tall statue.

The top of the pedestal is a platform that forms an observation deck from which you can get a fabulous view of the area.

Answer: Spain

Christ of the Knoll (the common name used for a statue that is officially named the Monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus) stands on a hill near the Spanish city of Palencia. It contains the tomb of the sculptor who designed it in 1931, Victorio Macho.

His original plans had outstretched arms at an angle of about 45 degrees, but the design was changed during construction to have the elbows at the sides of the statue, with the forearms raised and the palms facing outwards. The style of the statue is distinctly cubist, with strong angular lines.

The body of the statue is white rock, but the arms and the head are in bronze. The eyes were originally planned to be filled with ivory and marble, but money issues led to them being left empty, lending a somewhat unsettling aspect to the face.

The planned gold plates for the body also never happened.

Answer: Poland

The Monument of Christ the King located in Świebodzin Poland was the tallest statue of Christ in the world when it was completed in 2010, standing an impressive 33 metres high. This height was chosen because Jesus is believed to have been 33 years old when he died. Because it is situated on a stone embankment of around 16 metres, this statue does not dominate its area as much as many that are smaller but more dramatically positioned.

Its left arm is extended directly in front, with the right off to the side; its clothing has a dramatic swirl, and its head bears a gilded and jewelled crown.

Answer: East Timor

One of the main tourist attractions of East Timor, the statue of Christ the King of Dili stands at the end of the Fatucama peninsula, facing the ocean. (There is a beautiful nearby beach known to tourists as Jesus Backside Beach, although the locals call it 'Pasar Putih', a name meaning white sands.) The copper statue is 27 metres tall, standing on top of a globe of the world which is about half that size in diameter. Underneath the cliff face, as seen from the side of the statue, is a chapel with a 10-metre high cross standing beside the stairs leading to its entrance.

The complex was a gift to the people of East Timor from President Suharto of Indonesia, planned in 1995 as a celebration of the province's 20th year as part of Indonesia. It was completed in 1996, but East Timor became an independent nation again in 2002.

Answer: Indonesia

The English translation of this Manado-language name for the statue is Jesus Blesses. Unlike most statues of Christ, this one seems to be flying - its feet are in midair, its body leans forward at an angle of 20 degrees (with robes streaming behind), and its arms extend over its head with widespread fingers.

The statue itself is 30 metres high, and it is posed on a pedestal of 20 metres height, located at the highest point in a residential estate in Manado City.

Answer: Vietnam

Christ the King, of Vũng Tàu, stands 32 metres high on Nho Mount, in the city of Vũng Tàu, the oil-processing centre of Vietnam. Not exactly a glamorous location, but the one chosen in 1974 by the Vietnam Catholic Association to be the site of their planned statue, which was completed in 1993.

The statue stands, with extended arms that span 18.4 metres and palms facing upwards, on a curved pedestal which has a relief sculpture of the Last Supper on its concave face. A flight of stone stairs connects this statue with another, lower down, of Mary cradling the body of Christ.