From 9News and other sources: Rio’s Christ the Redeemer to get upgrade

The [Roman] Catholic Church has announced plans to raise $US3.5 million ($A3.81 million) for a major upgrade of Christ the Redeemer, the iconic giant statue of Jesus with outstretched arms that overlooks Rio de Janeiro.

Cleaning and repairing the 78-year-old statue will take four to six months, Rio de Janeiro Archbishop Ornani Tempesta told reporters on Wednesday.

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The 30-metre tall stone and cement Christ the Redeemer stands on an eight-metre high pedestal on top of Mount Corcovado, overlooking the metropolis of around 10 million people.

It was designed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, who ceded all the rights to the monument to the Catholic Church.

A French sculptor of Polish origin, Paul Landowski, sculpted the statue. It was inaugurated in 1931 after five years of work.

Classified as a historic monument since 1973, some 1.8 million visitors stop by to see the stature [sic] every year.