The Victor Emmanuel II Monument

Immediately following the death of the first Italian king, the government announced a competition for the best project, and the location of the monument was also discussed. The competition was won by the Marquis architect Giovanni Sacconi.For the construction, dazzlingly white Botticino marble from Brescia was used. An entire mountain of this stone - 110,000 tons - was delivered to Rome. Its construction began in 1885 and was completed in 1911.

The Victor Emmanuel II Monument was inaugurated on June 4, 1911, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Unification of Italy. However, all the works were only completed in 1935. The grand design of the main Roman monument was inspired by monuments of antiquity, such as the Pergamon Altar and the temple of Palestrina, in the typical Neoclassical style fashionable at the beginning of the 20th century. It embodies all the values of Italy during the Risorgimento. The project's architect was greatly influenced by the architecture of Ancient Rome and Greece.

For the construction of the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, entire medieval and Renaissance districts were demolished, including houses where the great Michelangelo and Raphael's pupil Giulio Romano lived, as well as Pietro da Cortona's workshop. The city lost the monastery with the cloister of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, the tower of Paul III, and the luxurious Torlonia Palace. Only the Palazzetto Venezia and the church of St. Rita were preserved. They were relocated and rebuilt.

On December 12, 1969, three bombs exploded in Rome, two of which detonated inside the Victor Emmanuel II Monument: one at the base of the flagpole of the Altar of the Fatherland and the other at the entrance to the museum of the Risorgimento, resulting in four additional injuries. After that, the monument was closed for 30 years. It was only in 2000, after extensive restoration work, that the Victor Emmanuel II Monument was reopened.

The structure is massive for the historical center of Rome: its height (excluding the height of the quadrigas) is 70 meters, its width is 135 meters, and the total area is 17,000 m².

The architectural structure of the monument is designed as an ideal ascending path that, through steps and terraces enriched with various sculptural groups and reliefs, leads up to a grand colonnaded portico. The frieze above the colonnade is adorned with statues symbolizing the 16 unified Italian regions. Typically, each statue was created by a sculptor from the respective region.

The portico is flanked by propylaea, topped with bronze quadrigas. The Latin inscription "PATRIAE UNITATI" under the left quadriga means "Unity of the Fatherland", and the inscription "CIVIUM LIBERTATI" under the right quadriga means "Freedom of the Citizens".

In the central part of the memorial complex, there is a 12-meter-tall bronze equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II. It was sculpted by Enrico Chiaradia and installed in 1911. On the pedestal, which holds the statue of Victor Emmanuel II, there are 14 marble sculptures. They symbolize the capitals of Italian states founded by the Savoy dynasty earlier.

The complex is embellished with the Fountains of the Two Seas on the outside. The fountain on the left represents the Adriatic Sea, facing east, with the Lion of Saint Mark. On the right, the Tyrrhenian Sea – with the Capitoline Wolf from Rome and the mermaid Parthenope.

The most famous part of the Vittoriano is the Altar of the Fatherland (Italian: L'Altare della Patria), designed in 1906 by the sculptor Angelo Zanelli. In the center, against a backdrop of golden mosaics, stands a statue of the goddess Roma, with reliefs on either side depicting Labor, Agriculture, Harvest, Cattle Rearing, and Love of the Fatherland.

Inside the Altar of the Fatherland, on November 4, 1921, the remains of an Unknown Soldier who died in World War I were buried. An honor guard always stands in front of the tomb, and the Eternal Flame burns, symbolizing the eternal memory of the soldiers' sacrifice. Near the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, official ceremonies are held annually to celebrate the Liberation Day of Italy (April 25), the Day of the Proclamation of the Italian Republic (June 2), and the Day of National Unity and the Armed Forces of Italy (November 4).

Inside the complex, there are 3 museums and several halls for temporary exhibitions. One museum is dedicated to the Risorgimento period, the second to the banners of the naval fleet, and the third to Italian emigration.

On the roof of the Vittoriano is an observation deck - the only place for an overview of the historical center of Rome. It is the highest panoramic point in Rome (after the dome of St. Peter's) at almost 80 meters high. From here, magnificent views of the central streets and main attractions of the city open up: the Capitoline Square, the Colosseum, the Imperial Forums, Piazza Venezia, and others.