National Monument to
​King Victor Emmanuel II

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Map

Il Vittoriano

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

Equestrian Statue of King Victor Emmanuel II & Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

​The 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 Vittoriano wasn't fully completed until 1937.

The monument was officially inaugurated on June 4th 1911 by Vittorio Emanuele III (r. 1900-46), the grandson of Vittorio Emanuele II and Italy's third king. 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Since 1921, the monument has incorporated the Tomba del Milite Ignoto (Tomb of the Unknown Soldier), which is guarded day and night by two sentinels.

The Goddess Roma by Angelo Zanelli

Above the tomb is the Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland), the work of Angelo Zanelli (1879-1942). The statue of the Goddess Roma is inspired by Minerva, the goddess of Wisdom. She holds a spear in her right hand and a statuette of a winged Victory in her left. Her helmet is adorned with seven wolf heads and a single wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. 

The statue is flanked by two large bas-reliefs, which depict the Triumph of Labour (left) and the Triumph of Patriotism.  Each relief sports a Latin inscription: LABORVM OPVS PATRIAM SERVAT AUGET (The fruit of labour preserves and increases the nation) and ARMORVM VIS PATRIAM TVETVR EXTOLLIT (The force of arms guards and exalts the nation).  ​​

Equestrian Statue of King Vittorio Emanuele II

​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). 

A Toast Inside the Belly of the Horse

​Before all of the pieces were finally assembled a group of dignitaries toasted the creation of the statue in, of all places, the horse's belly.

Base of the Equestrian Statue

Around the base of the statue are 14 allegorical female figures, the work of Eugenio Maccagnani (1852-1930). They represent the noble cities (citta nobili) of Italy, with Turin, the birthplace of the king and the first capital of Italy, enjoying pride of place in the centre. ​

Base of the Equestrian Statue

Moving counter-clockwise, the other cities are: Florence, Naples, Amalfi, Pisa, Ravenna, Bologna, Milan, Genoa, Ferrara, Urbino, Mantua, Palermo and Venice. 

The Vittoriano is decorated with many more allegorical sculptures. The two fountains at the base of the monument represent the Tyrrhenian Sea (by Pietro Canonica) and the Adriatic Sea (Emilio Quadrelli). 

'Strength'

'Concord'

'Sacrifice'

'Law'

​The four stone sculptures (above the fountains) depict, from left to right, Strength (Augusto Rivalta), Concord (Ludovico Poliaghi), Sacrifice (Leonardo Bistolfi), and Law (Ettore Ximenes), 
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The frieze of the seventy-two-metre-long portico is adorned with 16 statues (each 3.5 metres high), which represent the regions of Italy.  Each statue was entrusted to a different sculptor, who was almost always native to the particular region.

Quadriga dell' Unità by Carlo Fontana

Two bronze quadrigae (four-horse chariots), each of which is driven by a winged victory, crown the monument. The quadriga on the right, the work of Carlo Fontana, symbolises the freedom of the citizens (CIVIVM LIBERTATI), while the one on the left, the work of Paolo Bartolini, symbolises the unity of the fatherland (PATRIAE VNITATI), as the two inscriptions proclaim.

'Quadriga della Libertà' by Paolo Bartolini

'Thought' by Giulio Monteverde

At the foot of the broad flight of steps are two bronze sculptures: Il Pensiero (Thought) by Giulio Monteverde and l'Azione (Action) by Francesco Jerace

'Action' by Francesco Jerace

Fountain of the Tyrrhenian Sea by Pietro Canonica

Fountain of the Adriatic Sea by Emilio Quadrelli

The panoramic terrace, at the top of the monument, offers spectacular views. Critics of the Vittoriano, of which there are many, are fond of joking that the best thing about the view from the terrazzo is that it is the only spot in Rome where you can't see the monument! ​​​

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