Official name: Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II Also known as: Altare della Patria Also known as: Altar of the Nation Built: 1885-1911 Type: Monument Rome, Italy
T his monument is evidence of two 20th century conditions -- the notion that local is bad, and that new is insignificant. The Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele is one of Italy's most derided landmarks, but one of the least deserving of this scorn. Architecturally, locals compare it to a wedding cake, a Victorian typewriter, or even a set of dentures. Some think it looks out of place because its marble is too white and looks too new amid all the great ancient artifacts that surround it. These people fail to realize that this is what all of Rome once looked like, and that five-hundred years from now it will be seen as a cultural landmark and a national treasure, not just a colossal symbolic social Band-Aid on a fractured country. Perspective is a wonderful thing. That said, the monument honors Victor Emmanuel, the first king of Italy after it was unified. It serves a dual function in that it is the home to Italy's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and military guards stand watch over its eternal flame. The tomb is currently closed to the public, but there are plans to reopen it. No matter how you see the cultural significance of this monument, you can't underestimate its visual impact. If you don't respect it as a piece of great art or architecture, it is at least useful as a landmark for finding your way around the city. There is almost nowhere where it isn't visible.
New York, United States
