Christ of Havana - La Habana, Cuba
Posted by: 
denben
N 23° 08.635 W 082° 20.695
17Q E 362308 N 2560087
The Christ of Havana is a large sculpture representing Jesus of Nazareth on a hilltop overlooking the bay in Havana. It is the work of the Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera, who won the commission for it in 1953.
Waymark Code: WMV94P
Location: Cuba
Date Posted: 03/17/2017
Views: 1
The statue was carved out of white Carrara marble, the same material used for many of the monuments of the Colon Cemetery. The statue is about 20 metres (66 ft) high including a 3-metre (10 ft) base. It weighs approximately 320 tons. The statue was built from 67 blocks of marble that had been brought from Italy after being personally blessed by Pope Pius XII. The figure of Christ is standing with the right hand held near the chin and the left hand near his chest. Facing the city, the statue was left with empty eyes to give the impression of looking at all, from anywhere to be seen.
The statue of the Sacred Heart, located in the Havana suburb of Casablanca, in the municipality of Regla, was inaugurated on La Cabaña hill on December 24, 1958. Just fifteen days after its inauguration, on January 8, 1959, Fidel Castro entered Havana during the Cuban Revolution. After suffering damage by lightning several times, the statue was restored in 2012 while respecting the original work.
The sculpture is located 51 meters (167 ft) above sea level, rising to a height of 79 metres (259 ft), allowing the locals and visitors to see it from many points of the city. There is a panoramic viewpoint at the site of the sculpture.
To get there we took the ferry to Casablanca (1 CUC) near the Havana cruise terminal. After climbing the hill we visited the statue, the Castillo del Morro then Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña.
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