The gate

The gate was created thanks to the collaboration between Gaetano Vannicola (1859-1923) and Manfredo Manfredi (1859-1927): Vannicola studied the decoration, Manfredi made the definitive project. The construction was then entrusted to the Francesco Villa company belonging to the Fratelli Bombelli in Milan. It was already in place on 4 June 1911, the day of the ceremony for the inauguration of the monument, in the presence of King Victor Emmanuel III.

The gate has a typically Art Nouveau ornamentation with plant motifs, between two classically inspired friezes. It is a unique piece, about 40 meters long and 2.20 metre high. Despite weighing several tonnes, from the beginning it was designed to go up and down underground in a few seconds thanks to an ingenious mechanism. This mechanism was originally hydraulic, that is, it exploited the water used to fill the fountains, contained in a 500 cubic metre basin inside the monument. 

Currently, the gate is generally lowered to allow official ceremonies to be held, beginning with those taking place on 2 June for the Feast of the Republic and on 4 November for the Day of National Unity and the Armed Forces.