Rome, Italy - Piazza venezia, rome

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Piazza Venezia lies between the South end of Via del Corso and the Roman Forum. The piazza itself is less interesting than the buildings around it. It is dominated by the huge "over the top" white monument to Victor Emmanuel, Italy's first king. This building is disliked by most Romans and is called "the wedding cake" or "the typewriter". More interesting is the Piazza del Campidoglio by Michelangelo who designed both the geometric paving as well as the facades of the buildings. Leading up to Campidoglio is the Cordonata, a staircase also by Michelangelo. Further on behind the Campidoglio there are excellent views which look over the Roman Forum.

Piazza Venezia in the hub of the city! Almost any bus that you might want to be on will eventually pass through the piazza. It is close to many important tourist sites including the Roman Forum and the Capitol Hill. Unlike most of the piazzas in Rome, this is relatively square in conception, and was laid out late last century as a worthy home for the Monument of king Vittorio Emmanuele II.
The Piazza Venezia takes its name from Palazzo Venezia which lies on the western side -- at one time ambassadors from the Republic of Venice used a part of the building. This impressive building was constructed in the fifteenth century by Cardinal Pietro Barbo, who went on to become Pope Paul II. Built around the church of San Marco, the palazzo underwent many changes before reaching its present form and was used as a papal residence by several popes. Pope Paul III had a covered walkway built up to the convent that was on the Campidoglio (Capitol Hill), where the popes often spent there summers. The convent was removed to make way for the monument, and the walkway was removed for the piazza. It was from the balcony on the first floor of Palazzo Venezia that Benito Mussolini spoke to the crowds that filled the piazza in his heyday.

Via del Corso runs a straight arrow course from Piazza del Popolo over a kilometer and a half to finish by pouring its traffic into the northern end of Piazza Venezia. The Corso takes its name from a horserace that finished in the piazza. This was part of a carnival that was put an end to in 1882. It follows the route of the ancient Via Flaminia. On the western corner of the Corso and the piazza is Palazzo Bonaparte where Napoleon's mother lived after the French Empire fell. Where the Corso meets Piazza Venezia there is often a policeman on duty directing the traffic, bringing order to the chaos. It's surprising just how graceful a person can be doing such a job in such a busy place in such a casual way.

On the South side of Piazza Venezia is a truly monumental structure, dominating the whole piazza, dedicated to king Vittorio Emmanuele II, the first king of unified Italy. Officially known as the Altar of the Fatherland, it was constructed between 1885 and 1905 and changed the whole appearance of the area with its bulk. The whole area and its surroundings had to be cleared, including many ancient and medaieval structures. For all its mass the monument is looked on with ambivalence by many Romans: for some it looks like a wedding cake; for others a typewriter. One doesn't come away from it without an opinion. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also now housed in this structure, incorporated in 1921.

Off to the left behind the monument is the Risorgimento Museum which is dedicated to the nationalist movement that brought about the "resurgeance" of the Italian movement which led to the unification of Italy in 1861 with the welding together of many little states under the House of Savoy. (Still closed.)

To the east and completing the form of the Piazza Venezia is a building constructed in a neo-gothic style, the Palazzo della Assicurazione Generale di Venezia.