Consider the weight. Twenty-five tons of bronze make up the statue atop the Faro della Vittoria.
Welcome to the Faro della Vittoria. It is also known as the Faro della Maddalena. This colossal monument commemorates Italy’s victory in World War I. It stands tall in the Parco della Rimembranza on the Colle della Maddalena.
Senator Giovanni Agnelli donated it to the city in 1928. This marked the tenth anniversary of Italy’s victory over Austria and Germany. The sculptor Edoardo Rubino created this bronze masterpiece. The statue represents the winged Victory. She holds a torch that houses the lighthouse optic.
The hilltop was flattened to ease the statue’s transport and assembly. The Faro della Vittoria has undergone complete restoration work in 2013.
Edoardo Rubino crafted the bronze statue. It weighs 25 tons. The statue is 18.50 meters tall. It rests on an 8-meter-high stone base. The lighthouse beam is visible from the city and its surroundings.
From the summit, a gravel-covered plaza offers panoramic views. You can see the Western Alps. A granite orientation table helps identify the peaks. It shows the direction of the main alpine peaks visible on clear days.
The base bears an inscription by Gabriele D’Annunzio. It honors those who sacrificed their lives for the country. It reads like a call to action. It speaks of sacrifice. It dedicates the bronze and the renewing forest to their memory.
The park surrounding the Faro della Vittoria is vast. It covers over 90 hectares. Over 21,000 trees grow here. The park’s heart is the panoramic plaza. Roads and footpaths wind through it for 45 km. The original park area around the monument features diverse botanical species. It preserves the memory of 4,787 fallen soldiers from Turin. Each tree bears a plaque with a soldier’s name.
When inaugurated, the Faro della Vittoria ranked as the world’s third-tallest statue. It was behind San Carlo Borromeo in Arona and the Statue of Liberty.
The Cavaliere Giovanni Agnelli commissioned the work. Rubino desired to encapsulate a concept of eternity. This was to eternally remember the sacrifices of World War I combatants. The winged woman holding a torch symbolized eternity. The ever-burning flame represented something that could not be extinguished.
The Faro della Vittoria stands as a beacon. It shines a light. It represents the past. It inspires the future. Its panoramic views and historical significance make it a must-see in Turin.