Monument to Victor Emmanuel II (Altare della Patria)

Massive white marble monument built between 1885 and 1925 to honor Italy's first king and celebrate national unification, incorporating the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its eternal flame and ceremonial guard. Romans nicknamed it 'the Wedding Cake' or 'the Typewriter' for its bombastic neoclassical design — but the rooftop lift (Terrazza delle Quadrighe) delivers the best 360° panorama of central Rome, beating most paid viewpoints in the city. Worth the ticket for the view alone.