Christ the Redeemer of the Andes

Christ the Redeemer of the Andes (Spanish: Cristo Redentor de los Andes) is a monument high in the Andes at 3,832 metres (12,572 ft) above mean sea level on the border between Argentina and Chile. It was unveiled on 13 March 1904 as a celebration of the peaceful resolution of the border dispute between the two countries.

The Christ of the Andes, a symbol of eternal peace, is said to have been made from the cannons of war. Engraved at the feet in Spanish are the words, "Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust than Chileans and Argentineans break the peace which at the feet of Christ, the Redeemer, they have sworn to maintain."

The statue is located at the pass of La Cumbre, the highest point on the old road between Mendoza in Argentina and Santiago de Chile. The pass is also known as the Church (Iglesia) Pass on the Chilean side and the Bermejo Pass on the Argentine. The nearest major settlements are the Argentine town of Uspallata and Juncal in Chile. The closest village is Las Cuevas. The road climbs 1 km over a sinuous 9 km from Las Cuevas to the pass. The road is only accessible in summer months, when there is no snow. Winter temperatures can reach -30 °C. The road is now principally used as a tourist route to visit the statue, with the main route between the two countries now using the Cristo Redentor Tunnel at the foot of the climb.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Pope Leo XIII wrote a series of papal encyclicals calling for peace and harmony and for devotion to Christ the Redeemer. At the same time, Argentina and Chile were coming close to armed conflict over an ongoing dispute over the location of the border. The bishop of Cuyo, monsignor Marcelino del Carmen Benavente, promised to erect a statue of Christ the Redeemer to remind the parties of Christ's message of peace. The 7 m-high bronze statue was subsequently made by Buenos Aires sculptor Mateo Alonso, and was kept for a period on show in the patio of the Lacordaire School of the Dominican Order in Buenos Aires.

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Wikipedia