The Arch of Peace, Milan, Italy

The Arch of Peace, Arco della Pace in Italian, is located in the Piazza Sempione in Milan. It was contructed at the request of Napolean to signify his triumphant victory in 1801 when the walls around the Castello Sforzesco were destroyed.

The construction of the Arch started in 1807 under the supervision of the neoclassicist architect Luigi Cagnola, who was inspired by the Arch of Settimo in Rome. The arch was only two-thirds completed when Napolean was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, at which time the construction stopped.

In 1826 Franz I of Austria ordered that construction of the arch be finished in dedication to the European Peace which was reached in 1815. The Arch was finished by Francesco Peverelli and Francesco Londonio following the death of Cagnola in 1833. It was inaugurated by Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria on 10 September 1838.

The Arch of Peace is one of the best examples of Milanese Neoclassical art. It is a structure of four columns with two isolated boxes at each side. It is decorated with bas-reliefs and scenes illustrating the many events before the fall of Napoleon.

The Arch of Peace, Milan, Lombardy, Italy by OldeWorldGifts

Vintage photomechanical print of the Arch of Peace in Milan, Lombardy, Italy, which was taken at the end of the 19th century. Photograph courtesy of LOC (LC-DIG-ppmsc-06554). Visit OldeWorldGifts to see the range of products available with this vintage print of the Arch of Peace.