Christ the King Statue on the Tagus River in Lisbon

Christ the King Statue on the Tagus River in Lisbon

Attraction Introduction Portugal borders the Atlantic Ocean and enjoys a favorable maritime location, but it is a small country, stretching about 560 kilometers in length and only about 145 kilometers wide in some areas, resembling a barge moored at the edge of the European continent. Lisbon is the capital and largest commercial port of Portugal, with a population of 830,000. It is the country’s political, economic, and cultural center, as well as a major transportation hub and its largest seaport. It maintains frequent exchanges with South and North America, West Africa, and the Mediterranean. The Tagus River is just a small moat in Toledo, Spain, but becomes a wide river by the time it reaches Lisbon, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Lisbon is located in western Portugal, about seven kilometers from the Atlantic. It was once a Greek trading post and later became a Roman town. The city is built along the sea and the seven surrounding hills to the north, with many winding streets that spiral up the slopes.

The urban area has many buildings and historical sites dating back to the Middle Ages. Most visitors take a special bus across the 25th of April Bridge over the Tagus River to visit the hill where the Christ the King statue stands, overlooking the beautiful harbor of Lisbon. The 25th of April Bridge (formerly known as the Salazar Bridge), at 2,278 meters long, is the longest suspension bridge in Europe and the third longest in the world. It was built in 1966 and named after the day Portugal gained freedom during the revolution. Lisbon’s Christ the King statue closely resembles the one in Rio de Janeiro. Located south of Lisbon on the top of Almada Hill, it offers a broad view of the city of Lisbon and the surrounding straits.

This Christ the King statue was erected in 1959 on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing Lisbon. Its construction was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The artist Francisco Franco spent 10 years completing this majestic 28-meter-tall statue, which, together with its 82-meter-high concrete base, stands a total of 110 meters high. The statue towers at the edge of the Tagus River estuary, symbolizing the religious fervor of the people of the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal broke free from Moorish rule 50 years earlier than neighboring Spain; within those 50 years, it pioneered the exploration and conquest of the New World. Led by navigator Henry the Navigator (1394–1460), Portuguese sailors set sail one after another, becoming global pioneers of maritime exploration.

Lisbon, Portugal