Italy 2012 / 20120602c_EmmanuelMonument Ruth Milner, rmilner plus web at bookofmarvels dot net 3/18/2013

Monument to Vittorio Emmanuel II Also known as the "Altare della Patria", this structure is visible from nearly everywhere in Rome. It was finished in 1925 and is more than a little grandiose, which has led to some controversy. Not to mention the fact that in order to build it, they destroyed a large part of the Capitoline Hill (one of the famous "seven hills of Rome").