Christ of the Abyss

Christ of the Abyss is one of the most unusual statues in the world. It is located on the seabed near the Italian city of Genoa. The sculpture of the Savior was installed in 1954 at a depth of 17 meters. For many years it has been very popular among scuba divers and freedivers. Despite its inaccessible position, the underwater memorial has been visited by more than 2 million tourists.

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Video: Christ from the Abyss

Contents

Highlights

The author of the bronze statue is sculptor Guido Galeti, who took on the job at the request of diver Duilio Marcante. The sculpture, 2.5 m high, was supposed to embody religious feelings and immortalize the image of the Savior. Besides, it became a peculiar monument to Marcante’s friend Dario Gonzatti. The Italian scuba diver tested underwater breathing apparatus and in 1947 died in the bay of San Fruttuoso. Parts from shipwrecks, sailors’ medals and athletes’ awards were used to make the bronze statue.

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The water in the bay has exceptional transparency, so from the bottom of the sea Christ of the Abyss is revealed in all its splendor. The figure of the Savior is set vertically, and his gaze and outstretched arms are turned to the surface. Christ, as if praying, asks for the protection of all whose lives are inseparable from the sea – fishermen, divers, and sailors.

Over the decades spent on the bottom, the bronze sculpture has become overgrown with shells and algae. In addition, the statue lost one of its arms due to a sloppily lowered anchor, so in 2003 it was raised to the surface. The figure was cleaned, repaired, and reinstalled the following year.

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Replicas

There are several replicas of the Italian statue in different parts of the world that have been given the exact same name “Christ of the Abyss”. One of them is located in the Caribbean Sea, near the capital of Grenada, St. George’s.

In 1961, a massive fire occurred on the ship Bianca C, moored in the city’s harbor. Local authorities assisted the crew of the Italian ship and quickly evacuated everyone on board. In gratitude for prompt actions and participation the Italian shipping company presented Grenada with a copy of the statue of the Savior as a gift. At first it too was placed on the seabed, but then the sculpture was placed on the waterfront of the capital of Grenada.

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Another statue of Christ over the abyss was donated to the American Underwater Society. Since 1965, it has stood at a depth of 8 meters near the Dry Roks coral reef, in a territory that belongs to the American state of Florida.

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In 1993, Italians discovered the original clay statue molded by Guido Galeti. It turned out that it had been stored all these years in the foundry where the bronze sculpture was cast. The clay figure was missing hands, so it was first restored and then exhibited to the public at the Scuba Museum in the Italian city of Ravenna.

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Similar to the original statue, the 13-ton concrete sculpture rises on the seabed near Malta’s St. Paul’s Island. It was erected in 1990 when Pope John Paul II visited the Maltese archipelago. Originally, the massive statue was placed at a depth of 38 meters. However, the sun’s rays hardly reached it, so the sculpture was moved to a more accessible and well-lit place for divers, which is 10 meters deep.

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Video: Underwater World at San Fruttuoso

How to get there

Christ of the Abyss stands at the bottom of the sea in a bay adjacent to the village of San Fruttuoso. Several diving centers are open in this village, where you can get training and dive.

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In summer, San Fruttuoso is reached by boat from the marinas of the coastal towns of Portofino, Camoglia, Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure, Cinque Terre and Portovenere.

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The towns of Camogli and Portofino are closest to San Fruttuoso. There are walking routes from here to San Fruttuoso. From Genoa, Camoglia is reached by train. Portofino is not connected by train, so you can reach it by bus.