Christ of the Abyss is a submerged bronze statue of Jesus, of which the
original is located in the Mediterranean Sea off San Fruttuoso between
Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera. It was placed in the water
on 22 August 1954 at approximately 17 metres depth, and stands c. 2.5
metres tall. Various other casts of the statue are located in other
places worldwide, both underwater and in churches and museums. The
sculpture was created by Guido Galletti after an idea of Italian diver
Duilio Marcante. The statue was placed near the spot where Dario
Gonzatti, the first Italian to use SCUBA gear, died in 1947. It depicts
Christ offering a blessing of peace, with his head and hands raised
skyward.
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Due to increasing amounts of corrosion and the growth of crustaceans,
the statue was removed from the water and restored in 2003. A hand that
had been detached by an anchor was also replaced. The statue was
returned to the water with a new base on 17 July 2004. A second bronze
sculpture cast from the same mould exists off the coast of St. George's,
Grenada. This was a gift of the navy of Genoa for assistance in
rescuing the crew of Italian vessel Bianca C destroyed by fire in the
port of St. George's. The sculpture was placed under water on October
22, 1961.
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A third bronze from the original mould was presented to the Underwater
Society of America in New York in 1962. On August 25, 1965 it was placed
approximately in 25 feet of water off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.
It is located around Dry Rocks, around six miles east of Key Largo in
the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. While the statue weighs around
260 kg, the concrete base to which it is attached weighs about 9 tons.
The original clay statue minus the hands was located in a foundry in
1993. This is now on display with replacement hands at the National
Museum of Underwater Activities in Ravenna, Italy. Wiki
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