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10 Facts about Rome’s Piazza Venezia and the Vittoriano

 |  Rolling Rome

There’s no way to miss the hustle and bustle of Rome’s largest round-a-bout: the Piazza Venezia. On one side you can look down Rome’s longest street, the Via del Corso to the ancient northern gates of the city. From another angle, the ruins of the Imperial Forums lead the way to the Colosseum. Take a different road and you’ll end up in the Jewish Ghetto, on your way to Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood and last but not least, towering over the piazza, is the un-missable marble monument: Il Vittoriano. The four major roads of Rome meet in the piazza, so take one and explore the city but before you go, here are 10 facts about piazza Venezia!

  1. The Vittoriano (i.e. The Wedding Cake) The most notable monument in the piazza derives from the name of Italy’s first king, Victorio Emanuele II of Savoy to whom it is dedicated. Construction started in 1885, 4 years after his death and it was fully completed in 1925 under Mussolini. Another name is “l’Altare della Patria” or “Altar of the Fatherland” as the monument was built to celebrate Italian unification and the birth of Italy as a nation at the end of the 19th century. It also has two less prestigious nicknames: “The wedding cake” and also “The typewriter.” Most Romans aren’t a fan of the monument which they say doesn’t blend in with the rest of the city skyline.
  2. The Horse. Who’s hungry? The centerpiece of the Vittoriano is the enormous bronze equestrian statue of the first king himself. From your view at ground level, the horse might not look that big but at 10 meters long and 12 meters tall, it’s actually gigantic – big enough to comfortably host a dinner inside! Which is exactly what the workers enjoyed after the statue was completed. Twenty people comfortably posed for a photo around long table set up for pastries and vermouth inside the horses belly.
  3. The eternal fire and the tomb of the unknown soldier The monument itself is constructed to celebrate the unification of Italy and to demonstrate the power of Rome as a capital. Every piece of art you can see is an important symbol of the fatherland. Over the steps in the center stand the actual “Altar of the fatherland”, containing the tomb of “The unknown soldier”, a symbolic reminder of all the unidentified deaths of WWI. In front of the altar’s relief, visitors can see the statue of the goddess Roma with the secret eternal flame, always guarded by soldiers.
  4. Palazzo Venezia This building is one of the oldest Renaissance buildings in Rome, constructed between 1455 and 1464. The Palace, built by a Venetian cardinal (why Piazza Venezia takes its name) who later became Pope Paul II was used as a papal residence, embassy of the Republic of Venice and later headquarters for the Italian government. Benito Mussolini, “Il duce,” had his office inside and from the palace’s balcony overlooking the square he shouted his speeches to the crowds below. Be sure to peek inside where you could enjoy the garden courtyard for a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of the piazza.
    1. Michelangelo’s House Opposite the Palazzo Venezia is an insurance building, the Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali, finished in 1906 to mirror the older Palazzo Venezia. Unifying the squares “look” was more important than preserving its history. One of the buildings that was torn down was the house where Michelangelo Buonarroti lived and died, commemorated by a plaque on the side facing the Vittoriano.
    2. Palazzo Bonaparte On the north end where Piazza Venezia meets Via del Corso is a 17th century palace, once the property of Napoleon’s family. Napoleon’s mother Letizia Bonaparte lived the last 18 years of her life here and the palace is named after her. She spent most of her time on the first-floor loggia, (note the famous balcony on the corner) watching the busy streets of Rome.
    3. The Via del Corso The street was named for the 15th century “corsa dei barberi” or “race of the barbarians” – a tradition at Carnival of racing horses down the 1.5 kilometer street but it’s origins date back to ancient Rome. Today, Rome’s longest, straightest street is best known for shopping.
    4. Trajan’s Column Built by Emperor Trajan in 113AD this triumphal column commemorated Trajan’s victory over the Dacians and its spiral bas relief tells the story of the entire campaign Rome held against the country that would ultimately take its name: Romania. But don’t expect to see a statue of the emperor himself atop his own monument. In 1587 Pope Sixtus V set one of Rome’s patron saints there instead: St. Peter.
    5. What lies beneath The Ancient Romans certainly weren’t the oldest thing inhabiting the Capitoline Hill. During the excavations to create the Vittorio Emanuele monument an entire skeleton of a straight tusked elephant from the ice age was unearthed!
    6. And the view from above Rome boasts a number of impressive views but few match the ones from the top of Il Vittoriano. An elevator was built onto the back of the monument in 2007 and now visitors can access the rooftop of the 135 meter monument for one of the finest 360 degree views of the city.

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