Christ the King, watching over Lisbon and the Tagus

(Photo by Sailor Girl)

Cristo-Rei (Christ the King) is a monument overlooking Lisbon and the Tagus River. It was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer (Cristo o Redentor) statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Construction started in 1950, took nine years to complete and was inaugurated on May 17, 1959. It was funded by public subscription. The monument was built on the Southern bank of the Tagus River, facing Lisbon on the other bank. It is located at Pragal, municipality of Almada. The base of the monument, by architect António Lino, is in the form of a gate, standing 75 m (246 ft) tall. At the top is a statue of Christ the Redeemer, designed by sculptor Francisco Franco de Sousa, 28 m (92 ft)-tall. At the base of the statue is an observation deck (altitude: 184 m / 604 ft) providing panoramic views of Lisbon and one of Lisbon's Bridges (former «Salazar» Bridge).

(Text by Sailor Girl, with Wikipedia)