Vittoriano
The frieze of the Altar of the Fatherland is composed of numerous blocks of botticino, a type of marble extracted from quarries located in the province of Brescia. From a technical point of view, it is a compact ivory-colored limestone with white inclusions of ovoid shape and thin lines of iron oxide deposits forming veins.
The blocks of the frieze were carved by Angelo Zanelli in the laboratory and only later were brought and put in place at the Vittoriano. Their dimensions are easily detectable due to the presence of grout running between the joints.
During the cleaning work, restorers also identified the presence of square holes used to insert the olivella, an ancient tool used precisely to lift the stone blocks.
