A statue of Christ, bigger than the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, is planned for a small town near Madrid, with the aim of creating a pilgrimage site for visitors from around the world; they’re hoping it’s true that “if you build it, they will come.”
But not everyone in the town of Boadilla del Monte is happy with the idea, with some arguing the expected €19 million cost would be better spent on housing, schools and hospitals. But since the funding is private and permits have been issued, the main obstacle to the project going ahead is that the sponsors, the Association of Devotees of the Heart of Jesus of Boadilla, have so far raised only €94,000. They are planning to raise the rest in donations from around the world.
The statue, which is to be 37m high and 60m wide, was designed by Javier Viver, a sculptor known mainly for religious images. The torso and head are to be built of reinforced concrete and the arms of carbon fiber. The group hopes to open the monument in June 2030, with construction starting in 2027, by which time they hope to have raised at least €5 million toward the cost.
