Altare della Patria

Rome, Italy

The Altare della Patria, also known as the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, is a monument built in honor of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy.

The eclectic structure was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1885; sculpture for it was parceled out to established sculptors all over Italy, such as Leonardo Bistolfi and Angelo Zanelli. It was inaugurated in 1911 and completed in 1925.

The Vittoriano features stairways, Corinthian columns, fountains, an equestrian sculpture of Victor Emmanuel and two statues of the goddess Victoria riding on quadrigas. The base of the structure houses the museum of Italian Unification. In 2007, a panoramic lift was added to the structure, allowing visitors to ride up to the roof for 360-degree views of Rome.

The monument holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame, built under the statue of goddess Roma after World War I following an idea of General Giulio Douhet.

The monument, the largest in Rome, was controversial since its construction destroyed a large area of the Capitoline Hill with a Medieval neighbourhood for its sake. The monument itself is often regarded as conspicuous, pompous and too large.

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Address

Via del Teatro di Marcello 5431, Rome, Italy
See all sites in Rome

Details

Founded: 1885-1925
Category: Statues in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.rome.net

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Colosseum (0,9 km)
Sistine Chapel (2,5 km)
Arch of Constantine (0,8 km)
St. Peter's Basilica (2,6 km)
Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli (0,1 km)
St. Peter's Square (2,3 km)
Pantheon (0,7 km)
Vatican Historical Museum (2,7 km)
Apostolic Palace (2,4 km)


Villa d'Este (27 km)

User Reviews

Tomáš Kosec (2 months ago)
The best part for me was the view from the top of the altar. It is amazing. Whole Rome in front of you. But we almost missed it, because it is little bit hidden.
Michael Filion (2 months ago)
A beautiful and interesting place to visit. There are a lot of stairs, and a long line for the panoramic elevator. I would highly suggest a stop here, but not for people who are less able to handle the stairs. For those who can't handle stairs, you can still get some great photos.
Arjun Subbarao (3 months ago)
Great view of the city from the deck. Go during sunset time for wonderful pictures of the forums and Colosseum. Only reason to not give 5 stars is because the inside of this building is poorly kept. Roof leaks and some minor mold can be seen inside. But I say skip it and go for the view from the deck. Getting there: very easy access to several city bus routes and metro.
Monique Stanfield (3 months ago)
it's beautiful! This place gives great views of rome!!! Highly recommend!!! Its free. There are a few small museum exhibits within it that charge a few dollars to enter. But it's a sight to see for sure. LOTS OF STAIRS to climb to the stop...just a warning.
Jeremiah Forshey (3 months ago)
Came here our first afternoon in Rome, took the elevator to the roof (small charge, free for
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Limburg Cathedral

The Cathedral of Limburg is one of the best preserved late Romanesque style buildings. It is unknown When the first church was built above the Lahn river. Archaeological discoveries have revealed traces of a 9th-century church building in the area of the current chapel. It was probably built in Merovingian times as a castle and the chapel added in the early 9th century.

In 910 AD, Count Konrad Kurzbold (cousin of the future King Konrad I) founded a collegiate chapter of 18 canons, who lived according to the rule of Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, on the hilltop site. The original castle chapel was torn down and a three-aisled basilica was built in its place. The foundations of this basilica have been found beneath the present floor.

The construction of current cathedral is dated to 1180-90. The consecration was performed in 1235 by the archbishop of Trier. It seems certain that the cathedral was built in four stages. The first stage encompassed the west facade, the south side aisle, the choir and the transept up to the matroneum. This section forms the Conradine church. The second stage consisted of the addition of the inner pillars of the south nave. In this stage the bound system was first introduced. In the third phase, the matroneum in the southern nave was built. The fourth stage included the north side of the transept and the choir matroneum. By this stage Gothic influence is very clear.

The interior was destroyed by Swedish soldiers during the Thirty Years War (1618-48) and reconstructed in a late Baroque style in 1749. The Baroque renovation was heavy-handed: the surviving medieval stained glass windows were replaced; all the murals were covered up; the ribs of the vaults and columns of the arcades were painted blue and red; the capstones were gilded; the original high altar was replaced. The colorfully painted exterior was coated in plain white and the central tower was extended by 6.5 meters.

The collegiate chapter of Limburg was dissolved in 1803 during the Napoleonic period, but then raised to the rank of cathedral in 1827 when the bishopric of Limburg was founded. Some renovations in contemporary style followed: the walls were coated white, the windows were redone in blue and orange (the heraldic colors of the Duke of Nassau) and towers were added to the south transept (1865).

Further changes came after Limburg was incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866. It was now the Romantic period and the cathedral was accordingly restored to an idealized vision of its original Romanesque appearance. The exterior stonework was stripped of all its plaster and paint, to better conform with the Romantic ideal of a medieval church growing out of the rock. The Baroque interior was stripped away and the wall paintings were uncovered and repainted.

Further renovations came in 1934-35, enlightened by better knowledge of the original art and architecture. Art Nouveau stained glass windows were also added. A major restoration in 1965-90 included replastering and painting the exterior, both to restore it to its original appearance and to protect the stonework, which was rapidly deteriorating while exposed to the elements.

The interior is covered in medieval frescoes dating from 1220 to 1235. They are magnificent and important survivals, but time has not been terribly kind to them - they were whitewashed over in the Baroque period (1749) and uncovered and repainted with a heavy hand in the Romantic period (1870s) before finally being restored more sensitively in the 1980s.

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