Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, Bronze memorial statue on Riva degli Schiavoni, Venice, Italy
The Monument to Victor Emmanuel II is a bronze equestrian statue on Riva degli Schiavoni in Venice, showing the first king of unified Italy mounted on horseback above a decorated stone pedestal. The pedestal is flanked by female allegorical figures and lion sculptures, and the whole structure stands roughly 33 feet (10 meters) tall.
The monument was made by sculptor Ettore Ferrari and unveiled in 1887, about a decade after Victor Emmanuel II died in 1878. It was one of many national memorials raised across Italy in those years to mark the country's recent unification.
The lions at the base echo the Lion of Saint Mark, the most recognized symbol of Venice, connecting this monument to the city's own story. Each figure around the base holds a different pose, and visitors who take a moment to walk around the whole structure will notice how the composition changes from every angle.
The statue stands on the open waterfront of Riva degli Schiavoni, close to Saint Mark's Square, and can be approached freely from any direction. Stepping back toward the water gives a fuller view of the whole structure with the lagoon behind it.
One of the female figures at the base shows a woman wrestling with a chained lion, which is an unusual choice for a memorial of this kind. Most visitors only notice it after walking close enough to study the base from more than one side.
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