Here is another photo from Rome…
After doing some research, I found that this particular statue is a monument for King Vittorio Emanuele II. The original resides 40 feet high in front of the Vittoriano Monument in Rome.
As an aside… the Vittorio Emanuele Monument (or Vittoriano) is an astounding – really breathtaking – building. However, if you ask a local, they will get all huffy and tell you that the building is an eyesore… too bright with all that marble, garish even. It is so bright in the sunlight, that Romans tell you ‘not to look at it…’. They call this massive building the ‘typewriter’ or the ‘wedding cake’ under their breath. And, as several Romans explained, there are many photos of Mussolini and Hitler on the steps of the Vittoriano – which brings back bad memories of when Mussolini took over the monument for his political use.
One famous quote about the Vittoriano goes like this: “il Vittoriano has the best views in the citybecause no matter which direction you look, you cannot see il Vittoriano”.
Digging deeper, I found that the layout of the monument was intended to mirror (or be just a bit better than) that of the Campidoglio designed by Michelangelo, which also has a statue of Dea Roma and an Equestrian of Marcus Aurelius. So this one goes to 11, as it were.
ANYWAY… the largest statue in Rome, honoring King Vittorio Emanuele stands proudly in front of the Vittoriano.
This is the largest statue in Rome. It stands 12′ high on top of a 40′ marble stand in front of the Vittoriano.
SOME DETAILS
Enrico Chiaradia, the artist.
There wasn’t a whole lot written about the artist who created this massive statue, Enrico Chiaradia. He was born in Caneva (Pordenone) November 9, 1851.
Chiaradia, an esteemed bronze sculptor, won a contest to create the enormous Equestrian Statue of Victor Emmanuel II. The scale of this statue is tremendous – the largest statue in Rome.
Sadly, Chiaradia passed away in 1901, before the statue was completed – so that task fell upon Emilio Gallori.
(Cut and pasted from this original link.)
The enormous bronze of Victor Emmanuel II (Enrico Chiaradia) stands 40 feet
above its pedestal in front of the monument. It is the largest statue in Rome. The
13 foot sword weighs 700 pounds, the trappings of the horse weigh 4000 pounds.
Pistol holders are over six feet tall. The head and helmet weighs more than two tons.
The horse and figure had to be cast in 13 pieces.
It is so large that when the casting was completed,
a celebratory dinner was held in the horse’s stomach.
This is the Vittoriano at dusk (this photos I found on the internet was not credited). To me, it was incredible and amazing… but the locals call it garish. It is referred to as the ‘typewriter’ or ‘wedding cake’. The Romans hate it. Several churches and rare homes were demolished for the construction (or so I’ve been told) and the locals have never warmed up to the Vittoriano. It does look a little Vegassy, now that I consider it. But, when you are standing near it – and you don’t realize that it is newer than all the other amazing relics – it is very impressive. The largest statue in Rome, of the horse and rider centered here, is dwarfed.
