The bronze statue, over five meters tall, was transported from Rome by train. On the morning of July 30, the statue arrived at the square on Mount San Giuliano, a hill overlooking the city, transported by an ox-drawn cart amidst the sound of fireworks, festive bells, and applause from the people of Caltanissetta who, despite the early hour, had climbed the hill to witness the historic arrival. But just in those days, the anarchist Bresci assassinated King Umberto in Monza with a gunshot. All of Italy entered a month of mourning, and the inauguration, originally scheduled for the end of August, was postponed to September 29, coinciding with the feast of Saint Michael, the patron saint of the city.
Of the nineteen planned monuments, only five or six actually depicted Christ the Redeemer; the others, due to economic and logistical difficulties, were replaced with votive chapels placed on Italian peaks and hills.