A statue of the Virgin Mary believed to be the tallest in Europe has been discovered in a small Polish village.

A giant statue of the Virgin Mary believed to be the tallest in Europe was unveiled today in a small Polish village, funded by Poland's wealthiest businessmen.

The 55,6-meter-tall statue is located in Konotopie, a town in central Poland that has a population of less than 150. The height includes a 15-meter crown-shaped pedestal.

It is taller, although its location is less dramatic, than the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is about 38 meters tall, including the pedestal.

It towers over another recently discovered religious monument in Poland, the statue of Christ the King in the western city of Swiebodzin, which was erected in 2010 and, together with its pedestal, is about 52 meters tall.

There is only one other taller statue of the Virgin Mary in the world, in the Philippines, at about 98 meters tall.

The vast majority of Poles identify as Catholic, and the Catholic Church has played a strong role in public life since the fall of communism in 1989, capitalizing on the prestige it gained through its support for the anti-communist opposition. It is the birthplace of Pope John Paul II, who led the church from 1978 until his death in 2005. A huge statue of Pope John Paul, much smaller than the Virgin Mary, was unveiled a decade ago in the town of Częstochowa.