Christ of the Abyss - Freediving in San Fruttuoso - Italy

Christ of the Abyss - Cristo degli Abissi in Italian - is a bronze statue of Jesus Christ, placed at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, in the bay of San Fruttuoso di Camogli (Italian Riviera), in 1954. The statue was placed at a depth is 17 meters (56 ft), near the spot where Dario Gonzatti, the first Italian to use SCUBA gear, died in 1947. Duilio Marcante, considered the father of underwater diving education, conceived the enterprise as a tribute to the memory of his friend Dario Gonzatti, and as an opportunity to create a place suitable for meditation and prayer underwater. In the nearby Abbey of San Fruttuoso, there is a copy of the statue, dedicated to those lost at sea. When the statue was submerged, Pope Pius XII gave his special blessing and a medal, which still lies at the statue’s feet. In 2014 Pope Francis sent a medallion commemorating the 60th anniversary of the erection of the statue. Replicas of the statue have been placed in the waters off the coast of St. George's, Grenada and Key Largo, Florida.