"Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get an original essay Priest, Pedro Maria suggested building a Christian monument on Corcovado Mountain to around 1850 in honor of Princess Isabella, princess of Brazil and daughter of Emperor Pedro II, however the project died due to lack of support. In 1889 Spain became a republic and, as church and state separated, the. idea for the statue was gone. The Catholic Club of Rio made another attempt at a landmark statue on the mountain in 1920. The group organized an event called """"Monument Week"""" to get donations and signatures to help with the construction of the statue what motivated the organization was what was perceived as 'Impiety' in the society of the time. Donations came mainly from Brazilian Catholics. The projects considered for the """"Statue of Christ"""" included a representation of the cross, a statue of Jesus with the earth in his hands and a pedestal symbolizing the world. The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms was chosen, a symbol of peace. The statue was designed by local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. French sculptor Paul Landowski created the work. In 1922, Landowski """" hired"""" fellow Parisian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida. Leonidas' depiction of the face of Christ made him famous. A group of engineers and technicians studied Landowski's proposals and thought that building the structure in concrete instead of steel was more suitable for the cross-shaped statue. The outer layers are made of soapstone, chosen for its long-lasting qualities. Construction lasted nine years, from 1922 to 1931, and cost the equivalent of $250,000 (equivalent to $3,400,000 in 2017) and the monument was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. During the opening ceremony, the statue was to be illuminated by a battery of bright spotlights turned on remotely by Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, stationed in Rome 5,700 miles (9,200 km) away, but due to bad weather, the lights were activated on site. In 2006, on the occasion of the statue's 75th anniversary, the Archbishop of Rio, Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid, consecrated a chapel, named after Brazil's patron saint, under the statue, allowing Catholics to celebrate baptisms and weddings there. Lightning struck the statue during a storm in February. 10, 2008, causing some damage to the fingers, head and eyebrows. The Rio de Janeiro state government has begun a restoration effort to replace some of the outer layers of soapstone and repair the statue's lightning rods. Lightning damaged him again on January 17, 2014, detaching a finger from his right hand. In 2010, a massive restoration of the statue began. The works included cleaning, replacing the mortar and soapstone on the exterior, restoring the iron in the internal structure and waterproofing the monument. Vandals attacked the statue during renovations, spraying paint along its arm. Mayor Eduardo Paes called the act """"a crime against the nation"""". The culprits then apologized and presented themselves to the police. In 2015 two Russian and Ukrainian urban explorers, Vadim Makhorov and Vitaly Raskalov of Ontheroofs, climbed the statue with video footage and photos captured. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay"