Cristo de Yungay, Memorial statue in Yungay, Peru

The Cristo de Yungay is a large concrete statue positioned high on a cemetery hill with its arms extended toward Mount Huascaran. The figure stands on a circular platform that provides clear views of the surrounding mountain landscape.

The cemetery on Cerro Huansakay was designed by Swiss architect Arnoldo Ruska, who submitted plans in 1891; construction ran from 1892 to 1903, and the entrance arch of the third platform is dated 1897. In late 1964 the Beneficencia Pública commissioned Yungay-born sculptor Filomeno Melgarejo Malpica, who replaced the planned hilltop chapel with a 10-metre Christ facing Huascarán, erected in 1965-1966.

The statue was designed by the Yungay-born sculptor Filomeno Melgarejo Malpica, who returned after 45 years away. He replaced the chapel planned for the cemetery summit with a figure of Christ with open arms facing Huascarán, following a suggestion by Eduardo Vergara. The cemetery's small oratories honoured Santo Domingo de Guzmán (1540) and the Virgen del Rosario (1548) until the 1970 earthquake destroyed them.

Marked paths lead up the cemetery hill to reach the memorial, and the site is open during daylight hours year-round. Walking uphill requires steady footing, so comfortable shoes with good grip are recommended for the ascent.

The statue weighs nine tonnes and rises ten metres from its pedestal. Sculptor Filomeno Melgarejo Malpica, born in Yungay, returned after 45 years away to design it, replacing the four-altar chapel that Swiss architect Arnoldo Ruska had planned for the cemetery summit in 1891.