Christ of the Andes

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Christ of the Andes

Christ of the Andes, monument, also known as Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), standing on Uspallata Pass (13,860 feet) on the old dirt road from Mendoza (Argentina) to Los Andes (Chile). It was erected in 1904 to commemorate the peaceful solution of long and bitter boundary disputes by the treaty signed in 1902 after British arbitration. Made from the bronze of melted-down cannons, the 25-foot-high statue is of Christ standing on a globe, holding a cross in his right hand and raising his left arm in the sign of peace. The inscription at the base reads "Let these mighty mountains turn to dust before two sister nations wage war against each other."

See alsoUspallata Pass .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Salvatore Bizzarro, Historical Dictionary of Chile (1987).

Additional Bibliography

León Gallardo, René E. Breve historia del Cristo de Los Andes. Chile: Ediciones de Santa Rosa de Los Andes, 2004.

Sevilla, Fabián, Ariel Sevilla, and María Sáenz Quesada. El Centinela de la Paz: Historia del monumento Cristo Redentor de Los Andes. Mendoza: Ediciones Culturales de Mendoza, 2004.

                                   CÉsar N. Caviedes