The Il Vittoriano was built between 1885 and 1911, in honour of King Vittorio
Emmanuel II, the first Italian King after unification. The Monument was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi and built
in white Brescian marble and is located in the Piazza Venezia near Palazzo Venezia (Mussolini's headquarters
for 14 years). During construction, the northern side of the Capitoline hill was cleared and several Roman
ruins and medieval churches destroyed in the process.The monument was nicknamed the "piano" after Mussolini
held military parades in the piazza. The Fascists, dressed in black contrasted with the white marble looked
like piano keys. Genuinely thought of as a piece of insensitive architecture, the monument is often referred
to as the " Wedding Cake" or the "Type Writer". In front of the monument is the 40 foot (12m) bronze
equestrain statue featuring the king on his steed.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Below the statue of Victor Emmanuel is the Tomb of the Unknown Italian Soldier of
World War I and is marked by an eternal flame. The tomb often called " The Alter of the Nation" was designed
by Alberto Sparapani and completed in 1924. The tomb contains the remains of an unidentified soldier selected
by the mother of an Italian soldier that was missing in action. A two-man honour guard is changed throughout
the day to include a ceremony similar to that of the changing of the guards at Arlington Cemetery in
America.
Lest We Forget
In 2003, following the death of eighteen Italian soldiers who were killed in
Nasiriya, Iraq the Vittoriano was closed for several days as a mark of respect. During the closure a sea of
flowers were placed around the monument by the public.In 2005 Italian secret service agent , Nicola Calipari,
was killed whilst shielding freed kidnapped journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, from bullets in Iraqi. Calipari, who
was instrumental in negotiating her release, was awarded the Medal of Valor and his body lay in state at the
Vittoriano where tens of thousands of people paid their last respects.
The Il Vittoriano was built between 1885 and 1911, in honour of King Vittorio
Emmanuel II, the first Italian King after unification. The Monument was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi and built
in white Brescian marble and is located in the Piazza Venezia near Palazzo Venezia (Mussolini's headquarters
for 14 years). During construction, the northern side of the Capitoline hill was cleared and several Roman
ruins and medieval churches destroyed in the process.The monument was nicknamed the "piano" after Mussolini
held military parades in the piazza. The Fascists, dressed in black contrasted with the white marble looked
like piano keys. Genuinely thought of as a piece of insensitive architecture, the monument is often referred
to as the " Wedding Cake" or the "Type Writer". In front of the monument is the 40 foot (12m) bronze
equestrain statue featuring the king on his steed.
Below the statue of Victor Emmanuel is the Tomb of the Unknown Italian Soldier of
World War I and is marked by an eternal flame. The tomb often called " The Alter of the Nation" was designed
by Alberto Sparapani and completed in 1924. The tomb contains the remains of an unidentified soldier selected
by the mother of an Italian soldier that was missing in action. A two-man honour guard is changed throughout
the day to include a ceremony similar to that of the changing of the guards at Arlington Cemetery in
America.
In 2003, following the death of eighteen Italian soldiers who were killed in
Nasiriya, Iraq the Vittoriano was closed for several days as a mark of respect. During the closure a sea of
flowers were placed around the monument by the public.In 2005 Italian secret service agent , Nicola Calipari,
was killed whilst shielding freed kidnapped journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, from bullets in Iraqi. Calipari, who
was instrumental in negotiating her release, was awarded the Medal of Valor and his body lay in state at the
Vittoriano where tens of thousands of people paid their last respects.
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