Equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II, Rome

Equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II
The statue in 2015
Medium
  • Bronze (statue)
  • granite (base)
LocationRome, Italy

An equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II is installed at the Victor Emmanuel II Monument in Rome, Italy. The bronze sculpture was designed by Friulian sculptor Enrico Chiaradia and completed by Florentine artist Emilio Gallori.[1]

Description and history

After the Altar of the Fatherland is the equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II, a bronze work by Enrico Chiaradia and architectural centre of the Vittoriano.[2] The personifications of the noble Italian cities are carved on the marble base of the statue.[3] The statue is bronze, 12 m (39 ft) high, 10 m (33 ft) long, and weighs 50 tons.[2] Including the marble base, the entire sculptural group is 24.80 m (81 ft) high.[2]

The equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II is the only non-symbolic representation of the Vittoriano, given that it is the representation of the homonymous monarch.[4] In classical antiquity the equestrian statues were aimed at the exaltation of the portrayed subject, whose warlike virtues were emphasized. Furthermore, riding and controlling a steed, the character's ability to control primordial instincts was communicated—in this way, the subject was also recognized as civic virtues.[5]

The statue being at the architectural centre of the Vittoriano, above the Altar of the Fatherland and in front of the colonnade of the portico, is not fortuitous – in classical antiquity such equestrian statues were often in front of colonnades, public squares, temples or along the triumphal streets; in places, therefore, stressing centrality. The presence of the basement on which the personifications of the noble cities are carved is linked to the same archaic traditions.[5]

Carved on the plinth are personifications of fourteen noble cities, created by Eugenio Maccagnani, a sculptor much appreciated by Sacconi.[3] Maccagnani also decorated the lower part of the plinth with symbols of the armed forces victorious in the wars of the Risorgimento: the Engineer Corps, Navy, Artillery, and Cavalry; the obvious source of inspiration are the similar reliefs of the nearby Trajan's Column.[6]

The statue is the only non-symbolic representation of the Vittoriano, as it is a depiction of a historical figure, King Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy.[4] The choice to depict the sovereign on horseback is not accidental, as equestrian statues have, since the earliest times, had a precise symbolism.[7] In classical antiquity, equestrian statues were aimed at exalting the subject portrayed, whose warlike virtues were emphasized;[7] in addition, riding and controlling a steed communicated the character's ability to control primal instincts, thereby also acknowledging civic virtues.[7]

The placement of the statue at the architectural center of the Vittoriano, above the Altar of the Fatherland and in front of the colonnade of the sommoportico, is also not fortuitous: in classical antiquity, equestrian statues were often located in front of colonnades, public squares, and more generally in central locations of conspicuous symbolic significance, such as along triumphal streets or in front of temples.[7] The presence of a plinth on which the personifications of noble cities are carved is also not accidental: equestrian statues in antiquity were always erected on marble plinths complemented by inscriptions or figures.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The statue of Victor Emmanuel II on horseback | Vittoriano". vive.cultura.gov.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-12-09.
  2. ^ a b c Tobia, Bruno (2011). L'altare della patria (2nd ed.). Bologna: Il mulino. ISBN 978-8-81523-341-7. OCLC 742504798.
  3. ^ a b "Ministero della Difesa – Il Vittoriano". www.difesa.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b "L'Altare della Patria" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Monumento equestre" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  6. ^ Vittorio Emanuele II a cavallo Archived 2021-07-26 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ a b c d e MONUMENTO EQUESTRE entry (in Italian) in the Enciclopedia Treccani
  • Media related to Equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II, Vittoriano (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons
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