Equestrian Statue of Vittorio Emanuele II: Largest Statue in Rome

The Largest Statue in Rome

27/1/2019

Equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II

In the heart of Rome stands the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II), better known as Il Vittoriano.

This colossal monument to Italy's first king, Vittorio Emanuele II (b. 1820/r. 1861-78) was designed by a young architect, Giuseppe Sacconi (1854-1905). Work began in 1885 and, though it was inaugurated in 1911, the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the Kingdom of Italy, the monument wasn't completed until 1937.

The centrepiece is a huge bronze statue of the king on horseback, which stands 12 metres (40 feet) high, making it the largest statue in the city. Cast in over a dozen pieces, the equestrian statue was begun by Enrico Chiaradia (1851-1901) and completed by Emilio Gallori (1846-1924). Before all of the pieces were assembled a group of dignitaries toasted the creation of the statue in, of all places, the horse's cavernous belly.

A Toast in the Horse's Belly

Altar of the Fatherland, Vittoriano, Rome

Fountain of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Fontana del Tirreno) by Pietro Canonica, the Vittoriano, Rome

Fountain of the Adriatic Sea by Emilio Quadrelli, Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, Rome

Quadriga dell'Unità by Carlo Fontana, the Vittoriano, Rome

Bronze statue of 'Action' by Francesco Jerace, the Vittoriano, Rome

Bronze statue of 'Thought' by Giulio Monteverde, the Vittoriano, Rome

Equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II, the Vittoriano, Rome

Statues of noble cities, the Vittoriano, Rome

Quadriga della Libertà by Paolo Bartolini, the Vittoriano, Rome

'Law', sculpture by Ettore Ximenes, the 'Vittoriano', Rome

'Concord', sculpture by Ludovico Poliaghi, the 'Vittoriano', Rome

'Strength', sculpture by Augusto Rivalta, the 'Vittoriano', Rome

'Sacrifice', sculpture by Leonardo Bistolfi, the 'Vittoriano', Rome

The Largest Statue in Rome

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