Bolzano Victory Monument
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The Victory Monument in Bolzano, Italy in Victory Square was erected on the personal orders of Mussolini. The 19 metre wide Victory Gate was designed by architect Marcello Piacentini. Its construction was dedicated to the "Martyrs of the First World War".
The following Latin script can be seen on the façade:
- HIC PATRIAE FINES SISTE SIGNA / HINC CETEROS EXCOLVIMVS LINGVA LEGIBVS ARTIBVS
- Here at the border of the fatherland set down the banner. From this point on we educated the others with language, law and culture.
The monument was inaugurated on 12th July 1928 by King Vittorio Emanuele III.
The inscription, referring to Roman imperial history, was seen as provocative by most Germans living in the province of Bolzano-Bozen. On the day of the inauguration there was a counter-demonstration with 10,000 people in Innsbruck.[citation needed]
Today, the monument still is a focal point of the tensions between the Italian and German speaking communities in Bolzano, and it is fenced off to protect it from defacement.
