The Vittoriano, otherwise known as the “Altare della Patria ” (altar of the nation) was nicknamed by the French, because of its appearance, “La grande tarte” (the big cake). It may not be the most outstanding piece of architecture of the capital, yet it remains one of Italian patriotism symbols, mostly because it holds within the Tomba del Milite Ignoto, the tomb of an unknown soldier, victim of The First World War, symbol of all the soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the country.

When it comes to its appearance, the French did get it right: the monument looks just like a gigantic wedding cake decorated with cream and meringue. The Roman population, known for being very direct in expressing its views, has never been very fond of this cumbersome construction. That is why the romans have always bitingly called the monument “la macchina da scrivere” (the typewriter), certainly not comparing it to modern keyboards, but rather to those early mechanical contraptions, with vertical keys called “cembali scrivani.”