Flanking the majestic La Scalinata Steps at Altare della Patria are two winged lions. These mythological cats are a common theme in the Bible to represent power and authority. A similar image, known as the Lion of St. Mark, is the symbol for Venice and the Vatican. Including this sculpture on an Italian Unification monument seems odd because part of the military success of Victor Emmanuel II included driving the papal army into Vatican City. This act got him excommunicated from the church.
