Wender·Vista
Altare della Patria
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileItaly
on Piazza Venezia, at the foot of the Capitoline Hill in Rome

Altare della Patria

— — the white mountain at the end of the Corso.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The national monument to Victor Emmanuel II, set into the north flank of the Capitoline Hill where the Via del Corso ends. Giuseppe Sacconi began the design in 1885 and the monument was inaugurated in 1911, fifty years after the unification of Italy. The bright Botticino marble — quarried near Brescia rather than from the Roman travertine quarries — is the reason Romans nicknamed it the wedding cake. Since 1921 the central altar has held the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the First World War.

from the studio
Altare della Patria
— bring it home

Altare della Patria, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Altare della Patria

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Altare della Patria is the central altar of the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II, the Italian national monument that fills the north side of Piazza Venezia at the foot of the Capitoline Hill in central Rome. Giuseppe Sacconi won the second design competition in 1884; construction began in 1885 and the monument was inaugurated by King Victor Emmanuel III on 4 June 1911, marking fifty years of the unified Kingdom of Italy. The structure measures 135 metres wide and 70 metres tall to the top of the chariot statues that crown the colonnade.

— the stone

The monument is faced in Botticino marble, a bright pale-cream stone quarried in the Brescia province of Lombardy rather than from the warmer travertine quarries that built most of historic Rome. The choice gave the building its unmistakable white profile against the ochre of the surrounding city and is the reason Romans gave it the nickname la torta nuziale, the wedding cake. The central equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II, cast in bronze by Enrico Chiaradia and completed in 1901, stands 12 metres high and reportedly required a small dinner party to be held inside the horse's belly before installation.

— the visit

The monument is open to the public daily, and the climb to the colonnade rewards with one of the finest panoramic views of the historic centre, taking in the Roman Forum below and the Pantheon to the west. A lift on the back of the building carries visitors to the top terrace for a separate ticket. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was inaugurated on 4 November 1921; an honour guard from the Italian armed forces stands watch continuously, and two oil lamps have burned at the tomb without interruption since the dedication.

— where
Italy · Rome, Lazio
— elevation
27 m · 89 ft
— position
41.8947° N · 12.4831° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Piazza Venezia
civic square
at the lake
Capitoline Hill
ancient hill
at the lake
Roman Forum
archaeological site
1 km NW
Pantheon
Roman temple
N
Altare della Patria
Piazza Venezia
Capitoline Hill
Roman Forum
Pantheon
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Altare della Patria — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

It is the central altar of the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome, the Italian national monument that holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The structure fills the north side of Piazza Venezia.

Giuseppe Sacconi won the design competition in 1884 and construction began in 1885. The monument was inaugurated by King Victor Emmanuel III on 4 June 1911, marking the fiftieth anniversary of Italian unification.

The façade is faced in Botticino marble, a bright pale-cream stone quarried in the Brescia province of Lombardy, rather than the warmer travertine used in most of historic Rome. The contrast earned it the nickname la torta nuziale.

It is the tomb of an unidentified Italian soldier of the First World War, inaugurated at the altar on 4 November 1921. Two oil lamps have burned at the tomb without interruption since the dedication, watched by a permanent honour guard.

The monument measures roughly 135 metres wide and 70 metres tall to the top of the chariot statues, with a panoramic lift on the rear façade reaching the upper terrace.

The combination of the very pale Botticino marble, the tiered colonnade, and the symmetrical white silhouette against the warmer surrounding city gave rise to the nickname la torta nuziale, the wedding cake.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The Vittoriano is the white anchor at the end of the Corso and one of the first sights every visitor learns to recognise. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The palette suits European Classical, warm Minimalist, and Modern Eclectic interiors. It reads well against linen-white walls, walnut shelving, and rooms that already hold framed architectural prints.

Yes. Heritage architecture rendered in stained-glass colour is in step with current Modern Eclectic work that pairs classical subjects with contemporary surfaces and saturated palettes.

Above a standard sofa a single Large tile reads cleanly; above a console table a Medium sits at the right scale. For a feature wall, a 4-tile Mural or 9-tile Mural gives the architecture room to breathe.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and built for vertical installation in steam-prone rooms. Reserve the Glossy finish for framed wall pieces in dry rooms.

A microfibre cloth and water is enough for routine cleaning. Avoid abrasive pads and solvent-based cleaners. The colour lives in the surface, so it will not wear off with normal handling.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not licence or resell artwork from other sources.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.
— a collection

The Italian Dolomites,
painted slow.

The valleys between Cortina and Val Gardena, the tarns you walk an hour to see, the towers that turn the colour of a banked fire just before dark. Wander the collection by valley, by season, or follow the path Reid walked.

Tre Cime
Braies
Misurina
Sorapis
Cinque Torri
Sassolungo
Marmolada