The Monument to the Fallen (Italian: Monumento ai Caduti) is a Fascist-era monument, dedicated to the Italians who died during the First World War (1915–1918), and located in central Reggio Emilia, at the south border of the Parco del Popolo (also called the Giardino Publico), at the border with Piazza della Vittoria and just west of the town's Opera House.
Description
View of the monument from the southeast
The monument consists of a rectangular tower 15 meters high on a rectangular plinth 17 meters at the longest; the east and west sides have each two Doric columns, while the north and south sides have free-standing bronze statues. The top of the central rectangle has four bronze plaques.
West bronze plaque: Fallen soldier and three women mourning
The commission was initially awarded after a competition to the sculptor Alberto Bazzoni (1889–1973). By the time the monument was completed, the design had acquired the fascist overtones honoring patriotic militarism. The soldier also has a facial resemblance to Benito Mussolini.