Il Vittoriano

Lonely Planet review

From virtually all over town, you'll see a massive white construction towering above the city. This is Il Vittoriano, Rome's most detested monument. Most Romans can't stand the sight of it, but they can't deny that the views are exceptional, spreading across the whole city from Piazza del Popolo and St Peter's in the north to the Roman Forum in the south.

The locals complain about its marble (too white), its position (disrupting the view of the Capitoline) and its form (dismissed as 'the typewriter' or 'the wedding cake'). They do, however, admit that it's the best address in town: it's the only place from where you can't actually see it. Looming over Piazza Venezia, it was begun in 1885 to commemorate Italian unification and honour Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of united Italy and subject of the Vittoriano's gargantuan equestrian statue. It now hosts the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which means that you can't sit anywhere on the monument, a rule strictly enforced by hawk-eyed, whistle-wielding guardians.

In the undercarriage of the building the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento documents the history of Italian unification. Often referred to as the Complesso del Vittoriano, it is also frequently used for major art exhibitions.