Inside the Icon: Christ of the Sacred Heart

The 75-foot, 40-ton steel and fiberglass statue of Christ of the Sacred Heart is impossible to miss when driving along the Baja coast south of Rosarito. Cristo del Sagrado Corazón was designed by Tijuana sculptor Gregorio Ramirez and commissioned by local Antonio Pequeño, who died shortly after its completion in 2006. A mainstay of Catholic iconography, it closely recalls that other iconic mega-messiah, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer, save for an exposed heart with thorns and full coat of color. According to Ramirez, it’s the tallest full-color homage to Christ in the world.

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Want to get up close? Exit the toll road at Rosarito, continue south on the free road toward Ensenada, and head inland near the town of El Morro at kilometer 44. This way to salvation.

Inside the Icon: Christ of the Sacred Heart

Cristo del Sagrado Corazón