What to see at the feet of Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro, on the Corcovado

If Christ the Redeemer is magnificent, it is also because we see him from afar, he seems to us giant, at the top of his mountain, the Corcovado. But it is by approaching it that one really discovers it. Its impressive size is even more so when you're at its feet. But once there, besides seeing it close up, are there other things to see and do?

The statue seen from close up

Finally there is not enough to discover to Christ the Redeemer, compare to other monuments. For example, the Eiffel Tower has many elements to discover, explanatory charts, images of the old days, the initial machines, a museum, a cinema, etc. Same for the Statue of Liberty . This is not disappointing but the main activity on the spot is to admire the breathtaking view of the platform overlooking the bay of Rio. There are even a few other things to see, shown below.

The statue seen from close up

It is a funny sensation that to side this giant of airs. Perched on the summit of the mountain, it seems to take off when seen from a distance but closely it is mainly its mass that marks. It seems heavy, anchored in the ground (what it is!) Seeing the statue closely allows to see how it is made, to see the mosaic that covers it and to detail it.

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The view

The panoramic view is breathtaking. On 360 degrees you can see everything: the bay of Guanabara and the bridge that spans it, the Maracanã stadium, the Centro (business district where tourists never go), Sugar Loaf, Copacabana beach, Ipanema, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, the Botanical Garden, countless favelas and the Tijuca Rainforest.

The chapel Our Lady of Panarecida

Esta es la pequeña capilla, que puede albergar hasta 150 personas. - Ubicado en la base de la capilla. La base es un cubo cubierto con placas de mármol negro, pero dentro hay todo lo que necesita para celebrar una misa, que tiene lugar de vez en cuando.

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The chest of the conceptor Heitor da Silva Costa

Heitor da Silva Costa is the winner of the contract for the construction of the statue. He is the father of the statue, and as such it was normal that he had his bust on the spot. It also echoes that of Gustave Eiffel, at the feet of the tower of the same name, in Paris. But we must know that there is a struggle concerning the paternity of Christ the Redeemer, Paul Landowski, the French sculptor who realized the model in real size disputes.

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The chest of cardinal Sebastiao Leme da Silveira Cintra

Cardinal Sebastiao Leme da Silveira Cintra was the priest who inaugurated the statue of Christ the Redeemer on September 14, 1931. He had an impressive religious journey from philosophy and theology to the priesthood, the archbishopric before becoming a cardinal where he participated in the election of Pius XII. He was a committed promoter of the Christian faith in the daily life of the Brazilians.

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The explanatory panels

The visiting platform is generally crowded, alas, because there are so many visitors who want to climb the Corcovado, but if you have the leisure time you can enjoy some explanatory panels on the site. There are several for the different views, one for the park of Tijuca, one for the statue itself, and so on.

Panel

The tourist train

To climb to the top of Corcovado the most fun and take the tourist train. This train is historic, it is the oldest tourist train in Brazil. Renovated of course, it leads visitors through the forest of Tijuca and regularly offers openings in the vegetation and allows to discover the splendid view of the city of Rio from time to time. The main disadvantage of this walk is that you have to buy your ticket in advance on the Internet, there is much less space, every day, than requests.

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