A roller coaster road to Cristo Redentore di Maratea

Cristo Redentore di Maratea is a colossal statue of Jesus Christ atop of Monte San Biágio, in Maratea, a town in the province of Potenza, in Italy. The road winds up the side of the mountain bend after bend.

Cristo Redentore di Maratea

Can you drive to Cristo Redentore di Maratea?

Tucked away on the southern part of the country, on the Tyrrhenian coast, the road to the top of the Monte San Biágio is totally paved, ending at 592m (1,942ft) above the sea level. The summit hosts the famous Christ the Redeemer of Maratea, a statue realized in Carrara's marble in 1965 by the Florentine sculptor Bruno Innocenti (Florence 1906-1986). The statue is located right in front of the Santuario di San Biagio. It’s one of the biggest statues of Jesus in Europe, third after ''Christ the King'' in Świebodzin, Poland and ''Cristo-Rei'' (Christ the King) in Lisbon. Go only when the weather is great. Otherwise, you won't see anything.

How long is the road to Cristo Redentore di Maratea?

The road to the summit is very steep, hitting an 11% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting at Maratea, the ascent is 6.8 km (4.22 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 396 meters. The average gradient is 5.82%.

Is the road to Cristo Redentore di Maratea challenging?

The curvy road to the summit is very challenging, with 18 hairpin turns. The drive to and from the site can be a little intimidating if you are not used to hairpin curves. The drive is quite winding and the last few hundred metres of the road are on concrete columns which are quite scary especially when being in a huge bus. Well worth a visit for the statue, the amazing views... and the roller coaster road up. It's not an exaggeration. Is actually a road like a roller coaster. An experience itself.