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Spain has long been a deeply religious country and still, to this day, the country is world-renowned for its spectacular holy festivals, pilgrimages and processions. The Spanish motto in this regard definitely seems to be ‘go big or go home’, as evidenced by its latest endeavor: to construct the largest statue of Christ in the entire world.

 

The ambitious Sacred Heart Project will rise in Boadilla del Monte, just outside Madrid, in a spot nestled between the M-50, the Ciudad Financiera and the M-501. When it’s finished, the statue will stand a towering 37 metres tall with an arm span of 60 metres, making it visible from miles around and officially bigger than Rio de Janeiro’s famous Christ the Redeemer by a full seven metres.

 

Madrid already has its fair share of iconic landmarks and tourist attractions, but this enormous new monument aims to put Boadilla on the global map as a major pilgrimage destination.

 

The sculpture is being funded entirely through donations and will be built in stages. The first phase, costing around €135,000, will cover the initial design and the launch of a crowdfunding campaign.

 

The second stage, which includes structural planning, is expected to come in at €5 million. Then comes the big one, the actual build itself, with a price tag of nearly €12 million.

 

As for the design, it’s not just a pretty face. The torso and head will be built from reinforced concrete, while the outstretched arms will be made of carbon fibre.

 

Inside the statue, an enormous 2.5-metre-wide heart will take centre stage. Incredibly, the heart will actually move. In the morning, with the first rays of sunlight, it will descend to the base via a pulley system so that visitors can see it up close. As the sun sets, it will return to its place inside the statue’s chest.

 

Once completed, the sculpture will dwarf several of Spain’s most well-known Christ monuments, including Cerro de los Ángeles, also in Madrid (12 metres), Cristo del Otero in Palencia (21 metres) and even the current global heavyweight, Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer (30 metres).

 

The Region of Murcia also has its own landmark - a 14-metre state of Christ in Monteagudo that was hilariously confused with the one in Rio de Janeiro in the opening credits of reality TV show ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’.

 

If all goes to plan, Spain might soon claim yet another title to add to its long list of religious marvels – home of the biggest Christ statue in the world.

 

 

Images: www.corazondejesusboadilla.org