| Life of Christ Museum | |
| Native Name: | Museu Vida de Cristo |
| Native Name Lang: | Museu Vida de Cristo |
| Location: | Cova da Iria, Fátima, Portugal |
| Website: | www.museuvidadecristo.pt |
The Life of Christ Museum (Portuguese: Museu Vida de Cristo) is a wax museum located in the city of Fátima, Portugal.[1]
Located in Cova da Iria, near to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, it is a themed museum about the life of Jesus Christ, considered unique in the world.
Opened on 13 April 2007, the Life of Christ Museum is a museum complex where the life of Jesus is portrayed, from the Annunciation of the Angel to Mary to the Ascension of Jesus to Heaven, in a total of 33 scenes, through life-size wax figures dressed in clothes made with fabrics manufactured in the Sertã area on manual looms by Portuguese artisan women. The project involved an investment of 12 million euros.[2]
In August 2017 it was announced that the museum would close and be liquidated, after its main creditors rejected an insolvency plan in a last attempt to keep the museum in operation. The museum had a debt of around six million euros, with the biggest creditor being Caixa Geral de Depósitos, which voted in favor of its liquidation. The insolvency sentence of the Life of Christ Museum would be handed down. Subsequently, meeting in an assembly, the creditors ordered the closure of the museum's activities.[3]
In 2021, the Life of Christ Museum was sold for a total of 1.1 million euros with the property being acquired by Renowned Champion, a real estate company based in Lisbon. According to the acquiring company, the Life of Christ Museum was considered the third best wax museum in the world by Tony Julius, director of the London company that manufactured the wax figures and former collaborator of the Madame Tussauds Museum.[4] [5] [6]
The Life of Christ Museum reopened to the public on March 15, 2024.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
With an area of 4,400m2, the Life of Christ Museum has 210 wax figures, distributed in 33 scenes. With modern architecture, in light colors, the exterior is clad in granite and copper. Internally, it is divided into floors with great light and ample circulation spaces:
The Life of Christ Museum has a shopping arcade with 16 stores, five storage rooms and a car park in the basement with around a hundred parking spaces.
The following photographic gallery presents the 33 scenes from the life of Jesus represented in wax sculptures at the Life of Christ Museum: