Monumento ai Caduti (Monument to the Fallen), Como
Antonio Sant'Elia was a futurist visionary architect and soldier who died in 1916 in the battle of Monfalcone. Born in Como, his urban design featured modernity, dynamics, and speed. Some drawings from his book, "New City," showing vistas of multi-level skyscraper cities, are kept at Villa Olmo in Como.
The Monument to the Fallen is on Como's lakeshore, next to the Volta Temple. Its design is based on a pencil and watercolor sketch of a lighthouse by Antonio Sant'Elia, done in 1912. Sant'Elia himself is one of the 650 fallen remembered in the monument.
In 1930, Futurist scenographer Enrico Prampolini was asked to adapt a sketch by Sant'Elia to that of a monument. Prampolini's 10-foot colonnade version was rejected by the fascist mayor. The work was taken over by architect Giuseppe Terragni, with the support of his brother, Attilio Terragni, the mayor of Como. Made of Serizzo granite and Nabresina marble, the monument has a surface polished like a mirror and shows that the Terragni has skillfully adapted Sant'Elia's vision. The Monument to the Fallen was inaugurated in November 1933.
The memorial is a futuristic Ziggurat. From a massive pedestal, four columns frame rectangular openings. The pedestal has two symmetrical entrances with inscriptions. "The city exalts her sons with stones from Carso, 1915-1918," faces the city. "This night, we sleep in Trieste or Paradise among the heroes," overlooks Lake Como.
The interior holds a granite monolith with the names of the fallen. There is a sepulchral chapel, a crypt, staircases, and an elevator.
The Monument to the Fallen is on Como's lakeshore, next to the Volta Temple. Its design is based on a pencil and watercolor sketch of a lighthouse by Antonio Sant'Elia, done in 1912. Sant'Elia himself is one of the 650 fallen remembered in the monument.
In 1930, Futurist scenographer Enrico Prampolini was asked to adapt a sketch by Sant'Elia to that of a monument. Prampolini's 10-foot colonnade version was rejected by the fascist mayor. The work was taken over by architect Giuseppe Terragni, with the support of his brother, Attilio Terragni, the mayor of Como. Made of Serizzo granite and Nabresina marble, the monument has a surface polished like a mirror and shows that the Terragni has skillfully adapted Sant'Elia's vision. The Monument to the Fallen was inaugurated in November 1933.
The memorial is a futuristic Ziggurat. From a massive pedestal, four columns frame rectangular openings. The pedestal has two symmetrical entrances with inscriptions. "The city exalts her sons with stones from Carso, 1915-1918," faces the city. "This night, we sleep in Trieste or Paradise among the heroes," overlooks Lake Como.
The interior holds a granite monolith with the names of the fallen. There is a sepulchral chapel, a crypt, staircases, and an elevator.
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Monumento ai Caduti (Monument to the Fallen) on Map
Sight Name: Monumento ai Caduti (Monument to the Fallen)
Sight Location: Como, Italy (See walking tours in Como)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Como, Italy (See walking tours in Como)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Como, Italy
Create Your Own Walk in Como
Creating your own self-guided walk in Como is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Como Lakeshore Walking Tour
English novelist Mary Shelley declared visitors to Italy are in danger of becoming: "enjoyers of the beauties of nature, the elegance of art, the delights of climate, the recollections of the past, and the pleasures of society." All this she found on the shores of Lake Como. From Roman writer Pliny the Younger onward, visitors and natives of Como would have agreed.
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
The alpine lake is... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Como Introduction Walking Tour
The Roman writer Pliny the Younger wrote to his friend, "What is the news from Como, mine and your delight?" Como is a place of churches, gardens, temples, museums, parks, and palaces. Its nearness to spectacular Lake Como and the Swiss and Italian Alps has made the area a travelers' delight from the time of Pliny the Younger until today.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
In the 1st century BC, none other than... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles