WAS KING VITTORIO EMANUELE II REPLACED AFTER A FIRE?
In the Pantheon, since 1878 rest Vittorio Emanuele II, the last king of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the first king of the Kingdom of Italy, when it was established in 1861. He is, as entitled on the grave, the Father of the Nation. However, according to popular belief, in 1821 he died in a fire when he was just a little child inside Palazzo Pitti, and he was replaced by a butcher’s son.
The rumour started because, after the fire, the butcher, who had the workshop in front of Palazzo Pitti, suddenly became rich. Therefore, people thought that Vittorio Emanuele’s family replaced their kid with the butcher’s since they feared that the succession to the throne would be lost otherwise.
Obviously, this story is not confirmed, which was probably spread because of the poor resemblance between Vittorio Emanuele II and his father. Official sources tell us that Vittorio was rescued by the same nanny who started the fire by mistake falling asleep and letting a candle fall on the wooden floor.
Are you interested in stories like that?
Thanks to 1 City Tour, the entrance to the Pantheon is very easy. With our hosts in the place, the experience of the Pantheon is so relaxing and so pleasant you won’t even think about the long lines under the sun to get a ticket to the venue!
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