The painting is conceived in appearance as a grandiose 'collage' of all the symbolic monuments of the most important Italian cities to avoid censorship problems, but in reality it is conceived as a sort of pre-manifesto of Italian Unification. On the far left of the canvas there is a partial view of the Lanterna in Genoa, to bring together, through the most recognisable and symbolic architecture of the peninsula - from the cathedral in Milan to St. Mark's in Venice, from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to St. Peter's in the Vatican to the smoking Vesuvius in the Bay of Naples - all of Italy under the Savoy flag. The depiction of Sicily is missing because Giuseppe Garibaldi would leave with a thousand volunteers to annex it to the Kingdom of Italy only two years later, on 5 May 1860.
The large canvas, painted by the Dutchman Petrus Henricus Theodor Tetar van Elven, one of the artists closest to the reigning dynasty of Savoy, belonged to the Marquis of Mazzinian ideas Filippo Ala Ponzone. This view brings together all the symbolic monuments of the most important Italian cities. On the left is a partial view of the Lanterna di Genova, followed by other symbolic buildings: Milan Cathedral, St Mark's Basilica in Venice, the Tower of Pisa and St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. On the right is Vesuvius overlooking the Bay of Naples. View of Genoa
