Cristo-Rei Statue, Lisbon

On the south bank of the River Tagus (Rio Tejo) is the Statue of Cristo-Rei (Christ the King) which stands watching over the whole of Lisbon. The statue of Cristo-Rei was inspired by the colossal Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro.

The Portuguese statue is many time smaller but stands atop a giant 75m tower and from this vantage point impressive panoramic views across Lisbon can be had. Often these views are the sole reason for tourists to cross the Ponte de 25th Abril to the south bank, so only cross is the weather is clear. The observation point also provides excellent views of the 25th April bridge which connects the north and south banks of the Rio Tejo estuary.

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.

To reach the Cristo-Rei statue catch bus 101 which departs from Estação Cais do Sodré train station. This train station is the final stop on the green metro line. The bus route passes across the Ponte de Abril suspension bridge. The monument is open every day between 9:30 and 7:00 (summer) 9:30 to 6:15 during the winter months.

The monuments construction was funded by the Catholic Church of Lisbon and is recongised as place of pilgrimage within Portugal. The monument falls under the Diocese of Setúbal.