The namesake for this building is Victor Emmanuel III who became the King of Italy in 1900. His effective reign ended in 1943 when Fascist leader Mussolini was ousted as Prime Minister and Italy sided with the Allies during WWII. By 1946, the Kingdom of Italy was finished and became a republic. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III was built in 1929 on the Piazza Antonello square.