In the heart of Monza, Italy, stands a stone monument known among locals as 'el Re de sass' or 'the Stone King'. This monument was dedicated to [Victor Emmanuel II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Emmanuel_II), the first [King of Italy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Italy) who passed away in 1878. Proposed by Monza's mayor Uboldi de' Capei, the monument was constructed to stand in what was then known as Piazza Amalia (named after the wife of Beauharnais) and later changed to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
To finance the monument's construction, a public subscription was initiated. The task of sculpting the monument was entrusted to Luigi Crippa, and the inauguration took place on September 16, 1878, in the presence of King Umberto I and the royal family. Victor Emmanuel II is represented in uniform, with his left hand on his hip and his right hand pointing to the Statuto (Italy's first constitution). The statue stands tall at 3.25 meters and is made of Carrara marble, while the base is made of granite from Baveno. The sword is made of bronze.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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