Arco della Pace

The Arch of Peace stands at the head of Parco Sempione in Milan. Begun in 1807 as a Napoleonic triumphal arch, it was completed under Austrian rule as a monument commemorating the peace of 1815, leaving its sculptural programme marked by changing political regimes.

Why it matters

Luigi Cagnola designed the arch as a monumental gateway for Milan. Construction began in 1807 under the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, then stalled after the regime’s fall. In 1826 Francis I ordered the work completed as a memorial to the European peace of 1815. The reliefs and inscriptions reflect this political transformation, making the arch a record of the changing powers that governed Milan.

What to notice

The arch has three openings framed by Corinthian columns and is built in Baveno granite faced with Crevola stone. Above the entablature, the bronze Sestiga della Pace by Abbondio Sangiorgio is accompanied by Victories by Giovanni Putti. Reliefs associated with the Restoration and later inscriptions added in 1859 document changes in the monument’s political meaning. The central span measures about 14.24 metres.

Context and history

Cagnola’s project began in 1807 and was interrupted when the Napoleonic kingdom fell in 1814. In 1826 Francis I of Austria ordered the arch completed in memory of the peace of 1815. After Cagnola’s death in 1833, Francesco Peverelli and Francesco Londonio completed the work in 1837; it was inaugurated by Ferdinand I in 1838. In 1859, after the battle of Magenta, Milanese patriots replaced the Austrian inscriptions with texts celebrating Napoleon III and Vittorio Emanuele II.