Altare della Patria - Rome, Italy - Guarding the Unknown Soldier

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Rome’s Altare della Patria stands beneath the Goddess Roma, flanked by a ceremonial Guard of Honour.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier forms the solemn heart of the Altare della Patria within Rome’s monumental Vittoriano, with two members of the Guard of Honour standing beside the memorial. Above the tomb rises Angelo Zanelli’s imposing figure of the Goddess Roma, surrounded by the monumental marble reliefs that decorate the Altar of the Fatherland. The Vittoriano was conceived by architect Giuseppe Sacconi as a national monument honouring Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy, and construction began in 1885. The Altare della Patria later acquired an additional commemorative role following the First World War. On 4 November 1921, the remains of an unidentified Italian soldier were laid to rest here to represent and honour all those who had fallen in the war without being identified. A bronze wreath marks the tomb, while perpetual flames and the continuing Guard of Honour reinforce its role as one of Italy’s most important national memorials.