 | Rome Piazza Venezia - Vittoriano Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 211 |  |
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After you have passed Forum Romanum and continued to the right you'll see the Piazza Venezia, and it's incredible monument Il Vittoriano. It's made as a memory of Victor Emmanuel, who was the first king for the united Italy.
I'm quite sure you'll be as impressed by the building as I was the first time I saw it, although many romans makes fun of it, saying it looks like a typewriter-machine (hm, could maybe agree about that, but it's still an amazing building) or a cake.
The started to build it in 1885, and it was finished 1911, quite quickly for being in Italy, and specially in Rome :)
In 1921 also the tomb of the Unknown soldier was placed at the entrance of the building. There is a fire that will stay there for ever and it's guarded by two guards 24 hours a day.
It's there as an memory of all the Italian soldiers that have been killed in all the big and small wars during the years, although specially during the first World War if I'm not totally wrong.
The first time I went to Piazza Venezia was with one of my roman friends, who was very proud of the whole place. He had some strange right wing-opinions, but it took me some years before I understood what made him so proud about the piazza. But apart from the tomb and Il Vittoriano there is also Palazzo Venezia, which was the official residence of the Italian fascist dictator Mussolini...
On the front of the brown building you'll see the small balcony where he stood, talking to the people.
The whole Piazza Venezia is by the way the most trafficed area in the whole Rome, so be very careful when you'll pass the square...
UPDATE december 2007: The whole Il Vittoriano is restaurated in this moment, so half the building is covered by building bricks. Quite an impressive view anyway I still have to say. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Piazza Venezia - Vittoriano: A giant wedding cake of a square | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Yes, Rome is full beauty, its always one visual pleasure after the next... until you get to Piazza Venezia. In fact, you can't miss it because it is a central point in Rome and a good geographical reference to see the sights along the way. It starts OK with the Venetian palace, Palazzo Venezia (it used to be the Venitian Embassy to the Pontifical states). Pope Paul II, who was from Venice, had it built when he was still a cardinal. It truly represents the architectural style you can find in the Canals City. Mussolini had his offices there and was adressing the crowd from the balcony. He also had Via dei Fori Imperiali built so he could see the Colliseum from his office. Via del Corso, a central axis, runs from there all the way to Piazza del Popolo. And then, you turn around towards the south-side an bam! The collosal Monument to Vittorio-Emmanuelle II, a white stone building most commonly known as "the wedding cake", a turn of the century structure that his now the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A sore sight for many Romans and travelers' eyes alike, you can't deny that it's impossible to forget the Monument and you can see it from afar, which helps while walking on your droman discovery. Traffic is chaotic at this huge square and you will often find a policeman on its pedestal directing the traffic and looking like an angry orchestra director!
It's also a hub for many bus lines. Leave a Comment Address: Piazza Venezia
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| | | | Piazza Venezia - Vittoriano: The Wedding Cake | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Love it or hate it, you sure can't miss this huge white monument in the centre of Rome's busiest piazza. Though many tourists are awed by it, most of the locals actually can't stand it. Why? A few reasons:
1) It's not that old compared to its surroundings (it wasn't completed until 1911), and many older structures were destroyed in order to erect it here.
2) It is considered by many to be rather gawdy and garish, and the bright white of its marble clashes with the mellow brown tones of the buildings nearby
3) It completely obstructs the view of the Roman Forum and the Capitoline Hill
4) It honours the Savoy dynasty, the same royal family who helped Mussolini come to power and who were forced into exile after World War II
5) For all the expense and demolition of historic buildings that took place in order to build it, it serves no real purpose. While many people assume it's a palace of some sort, it's actually a mostly empty monument, with nothing but a lacklustre military museum inside (in my opinion it's the worst museum in Rome).
5) Many people connect it with Mussolini as well; one of its nicknames is 'The Typewriter' because Mussolini used to stage huge military parades in which his fascist troops, dressed all in black, marched up and down the steps of the white monument, and with the clicking of their shoes it looked and sounded like a typewriter.
The more common nickname for it is 'The Wedding Cake,' for obvious reasons. The official name is The Vittoriano, as it is a monument to King Vittorio Emmanuele II, the first king of unified Italy.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I lies here, and the eternal flame burns next to it. It is guarded at all times by two uniformed soldiers who stand perfectly still for hours on end; if you pass by around 9pm you may see the changing of the guard take place. Directions: In Piazza Venezia, the huge square at the southern end of Via del Corso. It's impossible to miss.
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