Totally Rome
Piazza Venezia & the Vittoriano
The monument at Rome's geographical centre — and what it tells you about unified Italy.
The Vittoriano
Built between 1885 and 1935 to honour Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy, the Vittoriano (officially the Altare della Patria — Altar of the Fatherland) is the white marble mountain at the geographical centre of Rome. Romans call it "the wedding cake" or "the typewriter" — nicknames that acknowledge its outsized presence while gently deflating the grandiosity of the intention.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The eternal flame and tomb at the base of the monument is guarded around the clock by soldiers from the Italian armed forces. The changing of the guard happens every hour and is worth pausing for — a quiet, serious ceremony that most tourists walk past.
The views
The free lower terraces give excellent elevated views over the Roman Forum directly below. The Roma dal Cielo panoramic lift (paid) goes to the very top for a 360° view across the entire city — the best single perspective over both ancient and modern Rome.
Palazzo Venezia
The Renaissance palace facing the monument is where Mussolini delivered his speeches from the famous balcony. It now houses a museum of medieval and Renaissance decorative arts — worth a visit, and almost never crowded.
