Symbolism

          A young Italian architect, Giuseppe Sacconi from Marche, was selected in a competiton held in 1882. This competition was launched after the death of Vittorio Emaunele II. However, it was only extended to Italian architects, presumably because the building was to commemorate Italian history from the perspective of Italian citizens. A total of 98 plans were submitted, of which that of Sacconi was nominated. Many aspects of his plan and the monument created from that plan showcase democracy as a form of symbolism. A clear relationship is drawn between the architecture and the concept of democracy through various connections and links. One such relation stems from the formation of the building itself. According to Sacconi's original submitted draft, he desired the monument to be much like a grandiose, mammoth forum, open and welcoming to the public. The monument was to encourage interaction of the citizenry with the nation and its processes. Furthermore, the fact that the very person whom the monument stands to commemorate, Vittorio Emanuele II, was called the "Honest King" as well as the "Gentleman King," because he truly cared about the welfare of his country and its citizens. Although the head of the country was still a monarch, the fact that this leader was not cold and brutal but approachable and kind adds to how democracy is portrayed through the achitecture here, located in the dead centre of Rome. The emphasis placed on this aspect of the architectural environment of Rome, especially because of its location, allows the symbolic meaning of the building to penetrate the minds of citizens, encouraging them to continue to pursue democracy not only within the country, but outside.