Library Notes
July 22, 2004
By Pansy Hundley, Librarian.
Out of all the buildings I saw in Rome, or anywhere else, the one I am about do describe is the most gorgeous, stupendous, grand, resplendent, splendid, beautiful, outstanding building I have ever seen. There may be one or two I saw in England that would equal it. But, I’m not sure about that. I probably need to go back and look again!
This building is so gorgeous, it’s called The Wedding Cake. When I first heard that, I did not know what in the world they were talking about. And then we passed by it and I understood. I got mixed up a time or two and called it the Birthday Cake. Birthday Cake, Wedding Cake – whatever. I wish I could show you a picture of it.
Resting on a huge amount of ground, with all of its’ steps and statues and pillars, the road curves around the building, as does the sidewalk surrounding it on two sides.
Its’ official name is the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, also called " Vittoriano", designed by Saccone, to commemorate Italian unification. It is perfectly symmetrical, and if not made of marble, then something very close to marble in appearance. Here are the official facts concerning this marvelous monument, as told in my "Rome" book.
"The Vittorio Emanuele II Monument was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi (1885-1911). It rises from the foot of the Capitol Hill, where it was squeezed into the heart of the city, forever changing the relationship between this hill and its surroundings. The Venetian sculptor Chiaradia worked for twenty years on the equestrian statue of the king, which was completed by Gallori (1901) after the death of the artist. The elaborate bas-reliefs on the base, which represent the most famous Italian cities, were designed by Maccagnani, who for many years collaborated with Sacconi in carving the three-dimensional ornamentation. The buildings two colossal chariots are surmounted by winged Victories, whose dark bronze contrasts with the white marble and makes them visible against the Roman skyline. They were made by Carlo Fontant and Paolo Bartolini in 1908. In the center is the Altar of the Fatherland,crowned by the statue of Rome, at whose feet since 1921 lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Via dei Fori Imperiali begina to the left of the monument, a broad, straight road built in 1932, which takes its name from the ruins of the for a it passes over."
Words fail me to fully describe this Wedding Cake, so I shall stop at that and let’s look at a new book by Dean Koontz, that he’s entitled "The Taking". Interesting title, don’t you think? Let’s see what was took, shall we?
"On the morning that will mark the end of the world they have known, Molly and Ieil Sloan awaken to the drumbeat of rain on their roof. It has haunted their sleep, invaded their dreams and now they rise to find a luminous silvery downpour drenching their small California mountain town. A strange scent hangs faintly in the air, and he young couple cannot shake the sense of something wrong.
As hours pass and the rain continues to fall, Molly and Neil listen to disturbing news of extreme weather phenomena across the globe. Before eening, their little town loses televisionand radio reception. Then telephone and the Internet are gone. With the ceaseless rain now comes an obscuring fog that transforms the once-friendly village into a ghostly labyrinth. By nightfall the Sloans have gathered with some of their neighbors to deal with community damage…but also because they feel the need to band together against some unknown threat, some enemy they cannot identify or even imagine.
In the night, strange noises arise, and at a distance, in the rain and the mist, mysterious lights are seen drifting among the trees. The rain diminishes with the dawn, but a moody gray-purple twilight prevails. Soon Moll, Neil and their small band of friends will be forced to draw on reserves of strength, courage and humanity they never knew they had. For within the misty gloom they will encounter something that reveals in a terrifying instant what is happening to their world – something that is hunting them with ruthless efficiency. "