Locals claim that Madera intended to suggest that Jesus is smoking a Cuban cigar and cradling a mojito, which she never confirmed. The first two fingers of the right hand are extended in a V, and the left hand is cupped. Unlike most monumental statues of Jesus, the hands of Christ of Havana are close to his chest. The eye sockets are empty, making it appear that Jesus is looking in all directions. Batista inaugurated the 320-ton statue on Christmas Eve in 1958, just 15 days before his government fell to Fidel Castro.Ĭhrist of Havana ( Cristo de La Habana) stands 60 feet tall and is visible throughout the city. Pope Pius XII blessed the blocks before they were sent to Cuba, where workers assembled them around a metal frame atop La Cabana Hill, across the bay from Old Havana. Madera then went to Italy, where she executed her design in 67 blocks of Carrara marble. Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera won the competition and convinced Batista that a statue the size of Christ the Redeemer would be too large for its intended location. Batista wanted a symbol for Havana comparable to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1953, the government of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista sponsored a design competition for a statue of Jesus to be erected on a hilltop overlooking Havana.

Its design reflects Cuba’s people and perhaps its culture.

Havana, Cuba, features one of the world’s largest statues of Jesus.

Old havana westfield