The header area of my Web site features an image of perhaps the most famous monument in Rome, if not Italy, which is the “Altar of the Fatherland”, or in Italian:
Altare della Patria
This building is also known as the “National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II”, or in Italian:
Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II
It is also sometimes referred to as:
Il Vittoriano
The largest monument in Italy, it was originally designed to commemorate King Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy who was the first King of Italy and who has been called:
- the Gentleman King
- the Father of the Nation
The monument attracts many visitors from Italy and across the globe – however residents of Rome are less impressed by the building and often refer to it scornfully as “the Wedding Cake”.