Monumento all'Italia, Reggio di Calabria

The monument to Victor Emmanuel II or monument to the Unification of Italy stands in the center of Vittorio Emanuele II Square in Reggio Calabria. In fact, the square is usually known as Piazza Italia because of the presence of the monument itself.

The 1868 work of sculptor Rocco Larussa, the monument consists of a 10-foot-tall marble statue depicting a turreted Italy as it exhorts its sons, holding swords, to break the chains of Rome and Venice to make national unity. The monument is placed in memory of the martyrs of September 2, 1847, who fell along with many other martyrs who rebelled against the reigning Bourbons.

The statue, made of white Carrara marble, is three meters tall. It is carved depicting the features of a sovereign with loose braids on her shoulders, in the act of holding a sword with her right hand, while with her left hand she holds a crown entwined with laurel leaves. The base bears the following inscription: For this work Larussa won the title of professor of sculpture in the city.