The Havana Christ, the giant sculpture that presides over the bay of the Cuban capital and is a symbol of the city, began its restoration process to repair damages to an arm and hip.“We are going to clean it all and to repair some parts that have been affected by to lighting that fell on it”, said the worker Roberto Riveron.he work, which stands twenty meters high was made by the well known Cuban visual artist Jilma Madera(1915-2000) and it shows a full bodied Christ, with a light smile, fat lips, long hair and beard.">The Havana Christ, the giant sculpture that presides over the bay of the Cuban capital and is a symbol of the city, began its restoration process to repair damages to an arm and hip.“We are going to clean it all and to repair some parts that have been affected by to lighting that fell on it”, said the worker Roberto Riveron.he work, which stands twenty meters high was made by the well known Cuban visual artist Jilma Madera(1915-2000) and it shows a full bodied Christ, with a light smile, fat lips, long hair and beard.">

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The Christ from Havana to be restored

The Havana Christ, the giant sculpture that presides over the bay of the Cuban capital and is a symbol of the city, began its restoration process to repair damages to an arm and hip.

“We are going to clean it all and to repair some parts that have been affected by to lighting that fell on it”, said the worker Roberto Riveron.

The work, which stands twenty meters high was made by the well known Cuban visual artist Jilma Madera(1915-2000) and it shows a full bodied Christ, with a light smile, fat lips, long hair and beard. His hands are folded together and one of them lies on his chest. He is dressed with a long robe showing his feet wearing a pair of sandals.

The remodeling work of the huge sculpture will end in one or two months, commented Riveron.

“It is a pride for us to work in this statue which is a symbol for Cubans”, added the employee, while he finished placing side structures next to his colleagues. Made in Carrara Marble, from Italy, the piece is made up of 67 parts and weights 320 tones. Also, while it was sculpted, it was blessed by Pope Pius XII.

Even though the monument needed about two years before it was completed, it was mounted in a few days by the end of 1958 in a hill on the Havana Bay, so it seems to be higher than it really is. The Christ from Rio de Janeiro, the best known in Latin America, is just about twelve meters taller.

Currently there is a park looking towards the bay and the city at his feet. It is a site for relaxation and also a tourist attraction visited every year by thousands of foreigners.

Press reports indicate that the Christ had already been stroke by lighting in at least three previous occasions throughout these five decades. The crack provoked on this occasion –it wasn´t informed exactly when these last ones fell on it- can not be seen with the naked eye.

Cubarte Translation Staff

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