Vittoriano, a monument glorifying Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy

The architect of Vittoriano is Giuseppe Sacconi, whose project was carried on by Gaetano Koch, Manfredo Manfredi and Pio Piacentini. The row of Corynthian columns resembling a Greek temple arch to attract the attention to the center point where a black equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel contrasts with the white of the marble around. It is the work of Enrico Chiaradia and Emilio Gallori. Numerous statues made by important sculptors add to the beauty of this monument. Magnificent fountains on each side of the main statue represent the Adriatic and Tirenian see among which stretches the Italian Peninsula.

A large bass relief at the feet of the horse represents the historic regions of Italy reunited in 1861 by the Risorgimento, under the rule of King Vittorio, with the bravery of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the vision of Giuseppe Mazzini and the efficiency of prime minister Count Cavour.
On top of the two corners of the facade there are two statues of goddess Victoria (Nike) riding a chariot.

A military museum can be visited inside. The terrace, which offers a magnificent view of the surroundings, including the column of Trajan of the Colosseum, has coffee shops and is also accessible by a glass elevator.

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“Father of the Fatherland”, King Victor Emmanuel II took the throne of Piedmont after a defeat of his father by the Austrians, against whose influence was to fight in the following decades. He was a liberal royal, adopting and respecting a modern constitution. He participated in the Crimean war against the Tsar and the army defending the Pope, which got him excommunicated. The revolutionary Garibaldi gave Victor Emmanuel II the control over the southern territories captured by his army of volunteers. Victor Emmanuel is buried in the Pantheon and was followed on the throne of unified Italy by king Umberto I.