The Wedding Cake

Famous Roman girl
in Piazza Venezia

Or, "the typewriter" as it is known, the Vittorio Emanuele monument in Piazza Venezia was erected in honor of the first King of a unified Italy, Vittorio Emanuel II of Savoy. Constructed entirely of a bright white marble, it was inaugurated in 1911, and was considered the epitome of self-importance and insensitive architecture (to which it owes it's unflattering nicknames).

Looking (well, squinting) down on
Via del Corso

It was about time we scaled the white elephant in Piazza Venezia to see what there was to see. The edifice also houses the Museum of the Risorgimento (the unification) and currently is running an exhibition about Auschwitz for the 66th anniversary of the holocaust. With the little kids in tow, we decided to skip the exhibit. Our mission was to get to the top of the monument. While there is a glass elevator to the top, you still need to climb quite a few stairs to get to the elevator. It's a massive space; and a massive monument. Once at the top, the views from its terrace are second to none: a 360degree view of the entire center of Rome. The panorama could also be examined more closely by the massive binoculars available. It was hard for Avery to use them but Charlotte and I could see right inside of the Colosseum. The top of the monument is called the Terrazza delle Quadrighe (The Terrace of the Chariots) so named for the two massive bronze statues situated atop either end of the Wedding Cake. Each portrays a winged Victory on a four-horse chariot -- one symbolizing unity and the other liberty.

View across Rome from the roof

Check out photos of the monument on this website: http://www.italylogue.com/things-to-do/vittorio-emanuele-ii-monument-rome-from-the-sky-elevator.html

So this was our morning outing. Unfortunately, Josh was not feeling too well -- he was the last to fall -- so we returned home for lunch instead of staying out. But we had a nice walk around the area of the Forum.

A rare solo photo-op of the Photographer

 Charlotte and I were the only ones who didn't take naps and so we spent the afternoon watching movies. First Precious (we skipped over a few scenes) and then The Blind Side. Still catching up on all the films nominated for the Oscars. And, it’s incredible what you can find for free on the Internet these days.