The shifting purpose of Milan's neoclassical arch

The Arco della Pace is a neoclassical giant in Milan. It began as a temporary structure of wood, plaster, and canvas in 1806 to celebrate the wedding of Eugenio di Beauharnais and Augusta of Bavaria. Following the success of this temporary build, the city council decreed on 8 February that a new arch in marble be erected in a more suitable location, which is today occupied by the Parco Sempione.

Construction on the new marble work began in 1807, designed by Luigi Cagnola and conceived as an arch to celebrate the anniversary of the battle of Jena. However, following the fall of the Kingdom of Italy, the work was abandoned in 1814. In 1826, under the Habsburg emperor Francesco I of Austria, construction resumed with a change in dedication to Peace. After the death of Cagnola in 1833, Carlo Giuseppe Londonio completed the work in 1838, in time for the inauguration ceremony presided over by Emperor Ferdinando I of Austria.

Look up at the bronze Sestiga della Pace. It shows a chariot of six horses pulling the goddess of peace into the city. There is a persistent legend that the Sestiga was originally facing toward a different direction. The arch remains a massive, beautiful record of shifting borders and changing rulers.

Today, the monument stands at the start of Corso Sempione. You can still see the inscriptions from the various eras, including the 1859 dedication. It is a heavy, granite masterpiece of Baveno granite and Crevoladossola stone that represents one of the major neoclassical monuments of Milan.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons