Rome's "Wedding Cake"

The impressive-looking Altare della Patria in honour of Victor Emmanuel II

Rome has a massive monument called Altare della Patria or the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a united Italy.

He was King of Sardinia from 1849 until 1861 and at that point he became the King of Italy, the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century. He held that title until his death in 1878.

There are fountains and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

As a result he was named Father of the Fatherland, and so Altare della Patria was built in his honour.

It's a massive monument, featuring stairways, Corinthian columns, fountains, a statue of Victor Emmanuel on a horse, and two statues of the goddess Victoria riding on quadrigas, or a four-horse chariot.

However while the monument is meant to honour the king, it has been mired in controversy every since it was built. During construction, part of the Capitoline Hill was destroyed for it, while critics find the monument too massive and pompous.

It also sticks out as the monument is made out of very white marble that some describe as "corpse-white marble".

But yes it does look like a wedding cake and other nicknames!

As a result, Altare della Patria gets many uncomplimentary nicknames, such as la torta nuziale, or "the wedding cake", la dentiera or "the dentures", macchina da scrivere "the typewriter", and la zuppa inglese, or "English soup" dessert, referring to trifle.

Very funny, but I can see the resemblance...