It was built to honour the memory of King Vittorio Emanuele II and all those who fought for independence and the Unity of Italy in the battles from 1848 to 1870. The tower is a monument admired for its grand exterior and its artistic qualities inside and is surrounded by a large park. It is an expression of Italian patriotic sentiment and was built thanks to a public offering.

It was commenced in 1880 and inaugurated on 15 October 1893 in the presence of King Umberto I, Queen Margherita, ministers, members of Parliament and a large crowd from all the provinces of Italy.

From the top of the monument you can admire magnificent views of the plain below and of Lake Garda. Behind the Tower is the Museum that preserves relics, documents and evidence of other events in the history of the Risorgimento.

Not far from the Tower, If you follow a short tree-lined avenue, made particularly picturesque by monuments and memorial stones in memory of the various troops that took part in the battle, you come to the Ossuary Church not far from the Tower. It was originally the noble chapel of the Tracagni Counts, later acquired by the Società di Gestione dei Musei di San Martino e Solferino (San Martino and Solferino Museum Management Company).