Christ the Redeemer
The origins
The statue of Christ the Redeemer stands on the summit of Mount San Biagio, where a commemorative iron cross had stood since 1907 commemorating the French siege of the fortified citadel of Maratea Superiore. Frequently struck by lightning, the cross was replaced in 1942, at the initiative of Biagio Vitolo, the mayor of Maratea, with a monumental stone and concrete cross intended to be a hope for the rapid conclusion of the ongoing world war. The cross remained in place for over twenty years and was moved to a lookout point in the valley where it is still located today. Later, entrepreneur Stefano Rivetti conceived the idea of replacing the cross with a monument depicting Christ the Redeemer.
the project
In 1957, the project for the work was entrusted to Florentine artist Bruno Innocenti, who conceived a Christ strikingly different from classical iconography: short hair and a slightly hinted beard depict a young Jesus with his arms outstretched in a gesture that recall the Lord’s Prayer, with his right arm slightly higher than his left. The figure rises from the rock, without any pedestal, and the tunic that outlines his torso leaves his left foot exposed.
Thanks to the device used by the author, to slightly curve the statue’s back, from afar we have the optical illusion that it is looking out to sea, while it is actually facing the Basilica of San Biagio.
The artist focused on ensuring that the statue would not appear alien to its surroundings, but rather fit into its context thanks to its color and architectural lines, which recall the natural elements of Maratea.
Features
The statue of Christ the Redeemer, whose construction began in 1963 and was completed in early 1965, is made of “marmocemento”, a mixture of white cement and Carrara marble chips. It is an imposing work, weighing an estimated 400 tons. The supporting structure, calculated by engineer Luigi Musumeci, is made up of a reinforced concrete truss covered with the figure’s modeled mantle, which is over 20 centimeters thick. It has an overall height of 21.13 meters, a head of 3 meters, and an arm span of approximately 19 meters.
The structure can be considered monolithic, a single piece from the foundations to the head and hands, as it was created with a continuous pouring. Subsequently, the chiselling phase began under the artist’s direct supervision, with the aim of revising the forms and bringing the inner part of the marble to the surface.
The Origins
The statue of Christ the Redeemer stands on the summit of Mount San Biagio, where a commemorative iron cross had stood since 1907 commemorating the French siege of the fortified citadel of Maratea Superiore. Frequently struck by lightning, the cross was replaced in 1942, at the initiative of Biagio Vitolo, the mayor of Maratea, with a monumental stone and concrete cross intended to be a hope for the rapid conclusion of the ongoing world war. The cross remained in place for over twenty years and was moved to a lookout point in the valley where it is still located today. Later, entrepreneur Stefano Rivetti conceived the idea of replacing the cross with a monument depicting Christ the Redeemer.
the project
In 1957, the project for the work was entrusted to Florentine artist Bruno Innocenti, who conceived a Christ strikingly different from classical iconography: short hair and a slightly hinted beard depict a young Jesus with his arms outstretched in a gesture that recall the Lord’s Prayer, with his right arm slightly higher than his left. The figure rises from the rock, without any pedestal, and the tunic that outlines his torso leaves his left foot exposed.
Thanks to the device used by the author, to slightly curve the statue’s back, from afar we have the optical illusion that it is looking out to sea, while it is actually facing the Basilica of San Biagio.
The artist focused on ensuring that the statue would not appear alien to its surroundings, but rather fit into its context thanks to its color and architectural lines, which recall the natural elements of Maratea.
Features
The statue of Christ the Redeemer, whose construction began in 1963 and was completed in early 1965, is made of “marmocemento”, a mixture of white cement and Carrara marble chips. It is an imposing work, weighing an estimated 400 tons. The supporting structure, calculated by engineer Luigi Musumeci, is made up of a reinforced concrete truss covered with the figure’s modeled mantle, which is over 20 centimeters thick. It has an overall height of 21.13 meters, a head of 3 meters, and an arm span of approximately 19 meters.
The structure can be considered monolithic, a single piece from the foundations to the head and hands, as it was created with a continuous pouring. Subsequently, the chiselling phase began under the artist’s direct supervision, with the aim of revising the forms and bringing the inner part of the marble to the surface.
