Cristo Rei over the Tagus

Around here is the story of a promise that became a 110 meter monument standing watch over the Tagus River. In 1940, as World War II ravaged Europe, Portugal's bishops gathered in Fatima and made a solemn vow. If their country was spared from the war's destruction, they would build a monument to Christ. Portugal stayed neutral, and the promise had to be kept.

What happened next was remarkable. Children across Portugal joined a campaign called Pedras Pequeninas, or Little Stones. From 1939 to 1958, they saved coins in small boxes and donated them at Christmas. Their contributions helped fund what stands in Almada today, visible from nearly everywhere across the water. Construction began in 1949 on the highest point overlooking the river. Over 10 years, workers poured 40,000 tonnes of concrete, hand carving the 28 meter statue more than 100 meters above ground.

Not a single person died during construction, which people considered miraculous given the scale. On May 17, 1959, 300,000 people gathered for the inauguration. Cristo Rei was inspired by Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer, but this one was built entirely through donations, including those small coins from thousands of children.