Christ the Redeemer of Maratea (Italian: Cristo Redentore di Maratea)

Christ the Redeemer of

Maratea (Italian: Cristo Redentore di

Maratea)

Christ the Redeemer was a tribute to the

people of Maratea by the Count Stefano

Rivetti of Valcervo

The Redeemer of Maratea has arms

upraised almost to a 45-degree angle; the palms face up, and the figure itself is

robed with one side of the bottom section set slightly ahead of the other, as if the

Redeemer were stepping forward

(Indeed, that would be

perfectly in keeping with the original

name of the work, as

reported when Innocenti was

still working on it: Il Cristo

risorgente—Christ Rising,

referring to the moment of

Resurrection)

The statue of Christ the Redeemer of Maratea is the work of the Florentine sculptor Bruno Innocenzi (Florence 1906-1986) and was commissioned by Count Stefano Rivetti of Valcervo

the head is 3 metres in height

By virtue of the particular

configuration of the face, the statue,

unmistakable landmark for

seafarers, gives the impression of a distant observer that the look is

directed, contrary to reality, towards

the sea

The statue is made of a

metal structure,

deeply anchored in the

underlying rocks, covered with a paste

made of concrete and

flakes of Carrara marble

The statue is 21 metres high and the arm-span is 19 metres from finger tip to finger tip

This is the third tallest

statue of Jesus in

Europe, after Christ the

King in Świebodzin, Poland and Cristo-Rei (Christ the

King) in Lisbon, and the fifth in the world

after Cristo de la

Concordia and Christ the

Redeemer, both in South

America

The statue faces inland towards the Basilica di San Biagio opposite

In 732 a ship, fleeing the religious persecution of

Leo III the Isaurian, brought the sacred

remains of Saint Blaise to Maratea, who thereafter

became the patron saint of the town

The remains of the saint are still kept in the

Maratea's Basilica, which is built over an ancient

temple of Minerva

Originally called Madonna delle Grazie,

the basilica was renamed San

Biagio, in honor of Saint Blaise, bishop of (historical)

Armenia, martyr and

patron saint of Maratea, whose remains arrived there in 732, shipwrecked

during a storm

During the storm the ship transporting the saint’s  remains was surrounded by an intense light, preventing the ship from returning to sea. This was seen as a sign that the remains had to stay in Maratea. Once they were disembarked the ship could proceed without problem

The statue presents an internal technical vacuum helpful to reach the top for maintenance work, with an iron ladder can not be used for tourist purposes

Christ is visible from all around the Gulf of Policastro

The medal modeled by Vincenzo Dino Patroni for the fiftieth anniversary of the sculpture

The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the

Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of

Italy

Placed on mount San Biagio (about 640 meters

above the sea level), facing the sanctuary, the colossal monument draws huge admiration and its

arms outstretched upwards welcome all in

the faith

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Sound: Luce - Mango & Zenima

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Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuhttps://plus.google.com/+SandaMichaela

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