Vittoriano

Description

"Vittoriano", a grand monument to Victor Emmanuel II in #Rome, rises the northern slope of the Capitoline Hill. Designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in a neoclassical style inspired by the Pergamon Altar and the ancient sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, it features sweeping terraces, monumental stairways, a colossal central equestrian statue of the king, a curved colonnade portico lined with personified regional statues, twin propylaea crowned by bronze quadrigae symbolizing Unity and Liberty, and allegorical groups embodying virtues like Thought, Action, Strength, Concord, Sacrifice, and Justice. Begun in 1885 after competitions (first international, then Italian-only), the project demanded massive demolitions of historic structures, including a 16th-century papal tower, a renaissance bridge, parts of a medieval Franciscan monastery, and numerous houses.