Piazza Albania is a square of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

(

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

), placed along

Viale Aventino Viale Aventino is a street that links Piazza di Porta Capena and Piazza Albania in Rome (Italy). It marks the boundary between the Rioni of Rome, Rione Ripa (rione of Rome), Ripa (towards the Aventine Hill) and San Saba (rione of Rome), San Saba ( ...

, not far from

Porta San Paolo The Porta San Paolo (English: Saint Paul Gate) is one of the southern gates in the 3rd-century Aurelian Walls of Rome, Italy. The Via Ostiense Museum (') is housed within the gatehouse. It is in the Ostiense quarter; just to the west is the Roma ...

, at the footsteps of the

Aventine Hill The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome. Location and boundaries The Aventine Hill is the sou ...

History

The square was conceived together with the urban development plan of 1883, that, amongst other things, provided for the urbanization of the whole

, the enlargement of the urbanization in

Testaccio Testaccio is the 20th ''rione'' of Rome, identified by the initials R. XX, deriving its name from Monte Testaccio. It is located within the Municipio I. Its coat of arms depicts an ''amphora'', referencing to the broken vessels that Monte Test ...

towards Via Marmorata, and of San Saba. It was a district that, since then, had been left substantially rural and little inhabited: this allowed to trace the almost straight paths of the present Viale Aventino and Via della Piramide Cestia. The square was initially called ''Piazza Raudusculana'', as it is placed where the former ''Porta Raudusculana'' (no more existing) rose; it changed its name on July 4, 1940 and became Piazza Albania to commemorate the annexation of Albania to the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

, that had taken place the previous year. The square lies at the vertex of a vast green triangle (now called ''Parco della Resistenza dell'8 Settembre'') and is surrounded by buildings erected between the 1930s and the 1960s. In the middle stands out the equestrian monument to

George Kastrioti Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

, the 15th-century national hero of

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

, by the sculptor

Romano Romanelli Romano Romanelli (14 May 1882 – 25 September 1968) was an Italian artist, writer, and naval officer. He is best known for his sculptures and his medals. Romanelli was born in Florence, the son of sculptor Raffaello Romanelli. Romano's wor ...

References

{{Reflist

Albania–Italy relations Rome R. XXI San Saba