Piazza Venzi - Altare della Patria, Rome

From the Pantheon we made our way to Piazza Venezia. This is the central hub of Rome and it takes its name from the Palazzo Venezia, built by the Venetian Cardinal, Pietro Barbo (later Pope Paul II) alongside the church of Saint Mark, the patron saint of Venice. The Palazzo Venezia served as the embassy of the Republic of Venice in Rome.

One side of the Piazza is the site of Italy's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Altare della Patria. The Altare della Patria, Altar of the Fatherland, is also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II. It is a monument built in honor of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy. I had not heard or read about this building so it really took me by surprise when we came across it. The Altare della Patria is impressive!!

With its wide stairways, huge columns, numerous fountains and impressively massive statues, it is a stunning building. It has a total area of 17 000 square meters.

The monument holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame, built under the statue of goddess Roma after World War I. Two soldiers are constantly standing at attention guarding the tomb. The body of the unknown soldier was chosen on 26 October 1921 from among 11 unknown remains by Maria Bergamas, a woman from Gradisca d'Isonzo whose only child was killed during World War I. Her son's body was never recovered. This was an impressive site to visit.

The piazza is at the foot of the Capitoline Hill and next to Trajan's Forum. The main artery, the Via di Fori Imperiali begins there and leads past the Roman Forum to the Colosseum, our next destination.Read more