Victor Emmanuel II National Monument In Rome, Italy Editorial Photo

Equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II by Enrico Chiaradia part of the decoration of the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument , improperly called Altar of the Fatherland in Rome, Italy. At the center of the monument is the colossal equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel, the `Father of the Nation`. The statue, the work of sculptor Enrico Chiaradia, weighs fifty tons and measures twelve meters long 39ft. It rests on a pedestal decorated with allegorical reliefs representing Italian cities. Also known as `Il Vittoriano` and about 80 meters high and 120 meters wide 260 x 390ft, it consists of a large flight of stairs leading up to a massive colonnade was built in honor of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy and occupies a site between the Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill.