Ken Munsie: 141. ... il Vittoriano ...

One of many landmarks of Rome is the Altare della Patria ( Altar of the Fatherland ) also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II) - and known locally as “Il Vittoriano” - is a 17,000 square meter monument built in honour of Victor Emanuel, the first king of a unified Italy.

The structure was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1885 and was inaugurated in 1911 and completed in 1925. To date, the Vittoriano is the largest monument in white marble ever created, and features stairways, Corinthian columns, fountains, an equestrian sculpture of Victor Emmanuel and two statues of the goddess Victoria riding on quadrigas. The winged goddess atop the white marble structure can be seen from all parts of the city.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Eternal Flame
with the mounted Vittorio Emanuele II ...

The monument holds the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier with an eternal flame and guarded by Italian soldiers. The body of the unknown soldier was chosen on 26 October 1921 from among 11 unknown remains. The selected unknown was transferred from Aqueleia to Rome and buried in a state funeral on 4 November 1921.

il Diritto ( the Law ) - Ettore Ximenes - 1912

il Sacrificio ( the Sacrifice) - Leonardo Bistolfi - 1911

The building of the monument was always controversial as its construction destroyed a large area of the Capitoline Hill ( see future blog ... ) with a Medieval neighbourhood for its sake. Many of the locals regard the monument itself as pompous and too large. It is clearly visible to most of the city of Rome despite being boxy in general shape and lacking a dome or a tower. The monument is also glaringly white, making it highly conspicuous amidst the generally brownish buildings surrounding it, and its stacked, crowded nature has lent it several nicknames, including "the wedding cake" and "the typewriter".

... then a fast lift up to the top of the Monument to view the city ...