Location: Vittoriano and Campidoglio

VITTORIANO This building, which is made entirely of marble and where we can find various bronze statues and countless bas relief works, is situated in Piazza Venezia, next to the Capitol. In the centre of the construction there is the Altar of the Fatherland with its statue of Rome at whose feet since 1921 lies the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in memory of all the Italian soldiers who died in the Great War. Much argument and discussion accompanied the decision to build this monument because of its position (next to the Roman Forum and Capitol and near the Colosseum) which contrasts with the sheer size of the monument. It is both unsettling and impressive to go from the Capitol square which is smaller and more accessible to the monument dedicated to Victor Emmanuel II

CAMPIDOGLIO In the beginning, the Capitol was a holy place, it then became the seat of power when the Roman Senate took up residence there and it is currently the home of the Roman city council. The trapezoid shaped square is extremely fascinating with its very distinctive paved floor. On the floor, which was designed by Michelangelo, there is an oval shape, which has been drawn using a dynamic type of geometry and in the middle of the oval, we can find the statue of Marcus Aurelius. At the top of the staircase there is the Palazzo Nuovo on the left and the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the right. Both of these buildings are home to the Capitoline Museums which form the oldest existing public art collection and where many valuable paintings and sculptures can be seen. In front of the staircase, behind the statue of Marcus Aurelius, is the Palazzo Senatorio whose staircase and fountain were designed by Michelangelo and whose bell tower is the work of Martino Longhi the Elder.

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