Cristo-Rei Statue - Portugal

This is an usual view of the Cristo Rei (Christ the King) statue in Almada. I've never seen the card before and i really liked it. It was an "hangman" prize sent by Leninha.

On the south bank of the Tagus River is the Statue of Cristo-Rei (Christ the King) which stands guarding religious Lisbon. The Cristo-Rei statue has many of the characteristics of the Christ the Redeemer statue found in Rio de Janeiro and this monument inspired the construction of the Portuguese version. Lisbon's statue is many times smaller than Brazil's but as it stands atop a 75m tower it can be clearly seen from the city. For tourists who cross the river this vantage point provides impressive panoramic views of Lisbon and is a worthy excursion for visitors who have longer stays in the capital.

 Photo by Anabela Luís

The Cristo-Rei statue is traditionally thought by the Portuguese as being constructed to thank God for keeping Portugal out of the Second World War but the true original inspiration for Cristo-Rei came before the war when Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon visited to Rio de Janeiro in 1934. The common believe for the reason for the construction arose because it took until after the war, in the late 40s, to allocate the funds to start construction.

 Construction started in 1950 but it took nine years to complete and was finally inaugurated on 17 May 1959. The statue of Christ the King is 28 meters tall and is perched upon a concrete tower which stands at 75 meters. The height is extenuated because of the hills on the south side of the Rio Tejo which add another 133 meters to the total height of the monument, below the column is the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Paz. The monument falls under the Diocese of Setubal but the monuments construction was funded by the Catholic Church of Lisbon.The Cristo-Rei statue is recognised as place of pilgrimage within Portugal. - in: http://www.lisbonweekendguild.com/lisbon-sights/Cristo_Rei_Lisbon.html