christ-the-king
  • pt

Christ the King

Raised 215 meters above sea level and offering

A 360 degree panoramic view of the two banks of the Tagus River, Cristo Rei is one of the must-visit points, an inseparable monument of Almada's image.

Inaugurated in 1959, Cristo Rei was built as a thank you for Portugal not having entered World War II.

Thousands of people visit this sanctuary which, together with Fátima and Santiago de Compostela, forms the golden triangle of pilgrims in the Iberian Peninsula. 

At the entrance of the enclosure there is a welcoming building, opposite the statue of Cristo Rei, facing Lisbon for a symbolic reason: by being with open arms towards the capital, the whole Portuguese world would be within the embrace of God.

Its construction used 40 thousand tons of reinforced concrete and cost the faithful more than 100 thousand euros. 

The architect António Lino and the engineer D. Francisco de Mello e Castro signed this monument, which after being built was sculpted by hand in a detailed work, developed more than one hundred meters from the floor, under the responsibility of master Francisco Franco. Even the beards of Jesus Christ were gently carved into his face.
 
At the base of the monument is the chapel of Nª. Mrs. da Paz, where the Image of Nossa Senhora de Fátima stands out, created by the famous sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida.
 
Source: CM Almada
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