Il Vittoriano, Victor Emmanuel Monument or Altar of the Nation, is an inescapable landmark of Rome. Piazza Venezia, on which it is situated, is the geographic heart of Rome, from which all distances from Rome are calculated. It is also the juncture of the principal crossroads of city traffic. The piazza stands at the beginning of Via Flaminia, the ancient road which leads east across Italy to the Adriatic Sea. A portion of this road connects Piazza Venezia with Piazza del Popolo and is known as the Corso. During the 17th and 18th centuries, during Roman carnivals, they would have horse races. Via del Corso is now one of the busiest shopping streets in the city. Less