Tuesday, 8 September 2015
Rome, Italy
Temps: HI 79F (26C) / Lo 63F (17C)
To say that the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument is gigantic would be an understatement … it can be seen from almost anywhere you go in Rome. Also known as the Altar of the Fatherland, the white marble monument that dominates Piazza Venezia was built as an homage to the man considered a symbol of the movement for a united Italy, and who later became the first king of the nation.
Opulent … yes, that’s one word to describe the monument.
Our meandering walk through the patriotic exhibits inside led us to the first terrace from which we enjoyed views of the Rome skyline dotted with the domes of several of the 2,000 or so churches the city boasts.
We’ve visited several of the churches marked by these domes; the Vatican’s
St Peter’s Basilica is the farthest dome on the horizon, just right of the center.
We debated taking the elevator up to the top for aerial views of the city, but the queue was long and it was brutally hot waiting under the sun. No matter; we headed to the terrace behind the monument instead and enjoyed the pleasing views of many of Rome’s iconic sites from there, including the Forum and the Coliseum.
While at the monument, we also visited the adjacent Basilica of St Mary of the Altar of Heaven … one of the most impressive churches I’ve seen in Rome to date. As it turns out, we stumbled upon a service commemorating — if that’s the right word — the Italian armistice of 8 September 1943. We sat awhile and listened to the military choir that was performing for the service before resuming our sightseeing.
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