Cristo Rei, Sacred Heart of Jesus monument in Garajau, Portugal.
Cristo Rei is a stone statue that rises 14 meters above the cliffs of Ponta do Garajau with its arms extended toward the Atlantic Ocean. The monument sits on a substantial base and commands views across the coastline and out to sea.
French sculptors Pierre Lenoir and Georges Serraz created the statue in 1927 at the request of landowner Aires de Ornelas and his wife. The work was completed during an era when such monumental religious sculptures were beginning to emerge across Europe.
The statue marks a burial ground where people of other faiths were once excluded, a reminder of past religious restrictions on the island that eventually changed. It represents a turning point in how the community accepted religious diversity.
The monument is free to visit year-round and can be easily reached by public transportation from Funchal. The grounds are straightforward to navigate and offer good vantage points for viewing and taking photographs.
This statue was completed four years before Brazil's famous Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, making it an early pioneer of monumental Christian artwork. Many visitors are unaware that this older work preceded the later and more renowned sculpture.
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