Il Vittoriano

You can’t help but continually encounter Il Vittoriano, this monstrosity that sits like a giant iceberg amongst blocks of old, mid-rise structures. Turn a corner, there it is. Catch a ride in a taxi, there it is. It seems easy enough to avoid Piazza Venezia, the square in which it is located, but somehow you cannot.

So, what is it? Il Vittoriano was constructed in 1885 to commemorate Italian unification and honour Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s first king. Emanuele was originally from Savoy, and had always supported a unified Italy. After Emanuele’s army joined forces with Garibaldi and defeated the papal army in 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed. Guess who was king?

The structure is constructed of white Brescian marble, the better to blind you with on a sunny day. Highlights include an oversize bronze equestrian statue of Emanuele, Museo Centrale del Risorgimento, which documents Italy’s unification, and the tomb of the unknown soldier.

The site on the northern slope of Capitoline Hill was cleared to make way for the monument. Roman ruins and medieval churches were destroyed in the process.

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