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Triumphal gate
With the fortifications for Castello Sforzesco destroyed in 1801 under Napoleon's instructions, a large space was created for the piazza Sempione but a monumental construction was also required to mark the entrance to the city.
The arch was begun in 1807 in honour of Napoleon and only finished in 1838 (for the occasion of the coronation of Ferdinando I as King of Lombardy-Venetia.) by the neoclassical architect Luigi Cagnola, inspired by Settimo Severo's arch in Rome. The result was a structure involving three colossal Corinthian columns with isolated customs boxes either side. The arch is made of granite from Baveno and adorned with marble from Crevola di Ossola, surmounted by the famous 'sestiga della pace' (the work of Abbondio Sangiorio) and by four statues of victorious men on horseback. On the trabeation the four rivers of Lombardy-Venetia are featured: the Po, the Ticino, the Adige and the Tagliamento) surrounded by bas-reliefs that feature episodes from the Restoration.
| Neighborhood: | Downtown |
| Address: | Piazza Sempione |
| Milan, 20123 | |
| Nearest train: | MM1 Cairoli |