Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Victor Emmanuel II

Milan is the city capital of the Lombardy and the second most populous city in Italy after Rome. Known during Roman times as "Mediolanum" it was the place, where in 313 Constantine I and Licinius met and "signed" the "Edict of Milan", giving Christianity a legal status within the Roman empire. At the end of the Roman empire Milan was besieged by the Visigoths in 402, looted by the Huns in 452, and taken by the Ostrogoths in 539. Only 30 years later is belonged to the Kingdom of the Lombards, until in 774 Charlemagne defeated the Langobards and added Milan to the Carolingian empire. During Barbarossa´s (Frederik I) "Italian Campaigns" Milan was taken and destroyed to a great extent. Milan came back and flourished, when in 1386 the construction of the cathedral began. It took centuries to complete. In 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte, about to be crowned King of Italy here, ordered the façade to be finished in 1813. The "Duomo di Milano" is surrounded by the "Piazza del Duomo". The most prominent building (next to the Duomo) is the "Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II" with its triumphal arch. It is the world´s oldest shopping mall, named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy, and built by Giuseppe Mengoni 1865 - 1877. The structure consists of two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagonal space, that is topped with a glass dome.

Lucca existed already in Etruscan times and became a Roman colony in 180 BC. The Diocese of Lucca dates back to the first century, legends tell, that St. Paulinus, a disciple of St. Peter, was the first Bishop of Lucca. In medieval times Lucca was the residence of the Margraves of Tuscany. After the death of Matilda of Tuscany (1115), Lucca constituted itself as an independent republic. Actually the "Republic of Lucca" existed from 1160 to 1805. San Michele in Foro was built over the ancient Roman forum in the center of Lucca. A church existed right here already end of the 9th century. Pope Alexander II, who had been bishop in Lucca before he made carreer in Rome , started the construction of the church, seen here, after 1070. It took centuries to complete this building. Diotisalvi and Guidetto da Como have worked here in the 13th century. Unfortunately it is not always clear, wether the ornaments are 13th century - or a result of the renovation of the 19th century. Animals and hunting scenes again. Here I am pretty sure, that the heads below were added within the 19th century. My guess is that the crowned king is Victor Emmanuel II of Italy (1820 – 1878), at least he has the same beard. If I am right, this portait was added after 1861, as since then he was King of Italy. Then the person to the right can only be Pope Pius IX, the longest-reigning elected pope in the history - over 31 years.