Piazza Venezia

As soon as you step into the Piazza Venezia, you will be struck by its breath-taking beauty. The first thing that’ll catch your eye is the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (locally referred to as Altare della Patria), a staggering white marble creation that has lost none of its beauty in the decades since its construction in 1935. The building was originally designed to mark the unification of Italy, but wasn’t completed until some fifty years after it was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi.Due to the monument’s immense size, an entire area of Rome had to be demolished to create enough space for it. The accomplished and detailed work of the Italian sculptors tasked with working on the building ensures that it remains a favourite with both visitors and Romans alike. Famous names in the world of sculpture, such as Leonardo Bistolfi and Angelo Zanelli put some of their best work and greatest inspiration into this monument.The Museo Centrale del Risorgimento Italiano museum is located within the Piazza Venezia and has exhibits that give an insight into the unification of Italy, its heritage and legacy. The building contains a glass lift which will whisk you up to a viewing platform where you can enjoy views across the entire city of Rome, particularly the ancient remains located to the south east.The left-hand side of the piazza is occupied by the Palazzo Venezia, once used as the palace and headquarters of Benito Mussolini, but today home to the Museo del Palazzo di Venezia. It contains excellent examples of religious paintings from the 14th century and a collection of ancient German wooden statues. There’s also a room dedicated to numerous great canvases including Francesco Solimena’s Wedding at Cana and Donato Creti’s Dance of the Nymphs.Piazza Venezia is located in central Rome. The Colosseo Metro station is nearby and there are plenty of bus stops.