Statue of Father Cícero, Religious monument in Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil

The Statue of Father Cícero is a 30-metre concrete monument, including its base, on Horto Hill in Juazeiro do Norte. Sculpted by Armando Lacerda and inaugurated on 1 November 1969, it stands beside a small church and the House-Museum of Priest Cícero. From the top, visitors can see the city and the Chapada do Araripe.

The statue was sculpted by Armando Lacerda and inaugurated on 1 November 1969 by mayor José Mauro Castelo Branco Sampaio, with Rômulo Ayres Montenegro calculating the engineering of the base and figure. It was first planned at 7 metres, raised to 12, then 17 metres without the base, and finally built to 30 metres including the pedestal. Molds were handmade in wood and agave, and the concrete used Russian and Hungarian cement brought in during a national shortage.

Father Cícero holds deep meaning for northeastern Brazilians as a spiritual figure woven into their religious practice and local pride. Visitors see people praying and leaving flowers here daily, showing how this devotion remains alive in everyday life.

The statue stands on Horto Hill, reached by a road lined with shops selling miniature statues, religious images and handicrafts, plus restaurants and snack bars for visitors. Pilgrimages fill the city on dates such as 20 July, the anniversary of Father Cícero's death, and 2 November; crowds then exceed twice the number of inhabitants.

The statue was not planned at its final size: it was first designed at 7 metres, raised to 12, then 17 metres without the base, and built to 30 metres with the pedestal. Its moulds were made by hand in wood and agave, and the concrete used Russian and Hungarian cement brought in during a shortage in Brazil.