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Parco Sempione is a large public park in Milan. It sits just outside the historic city center behind the Sforza Castle.
Introduction to Parco Sempione
The land making up today’s Parco Sempione, which covers 95 acres, was originally the ducal park of the ruling Visconti family. They used it as a hunting ground and the Sforzas later introduced exotic animals. By the 18th century, however, the land was in disuse.
In the 19th century, the parkland was used as a parade ground by soldiers housed at the Sforza Castle. The Civic Arena (Arena Civica) opened on the northeast side on August 8, 1807, and is still in use today as a football ground. The land opened for civic use and agriculture after the unification of Italy in 1861.
The park as we know it today was built between 1888 and 1894 and was designed by Emilio Alemagna (1833-1910). He added avenues for carriages, a pond, and a belvedere.
Other permanent structures were added later. They include the Civic Aquarium of Milan (Acquario Civico di Milano), built in 1905; the Parco Sempione Library (Biblioteca Parco Sempione), which took the place of the belvedere; Torre Branca, a lookout tower built in 1933; and the Palazzo dell’Arte, which opened in 1933 and hosts an art exhibition called the Triennale di Milano. In addition, there are plenty of places scattered around the park to get a drink or snack as well as a playground, basketball court, and pieces of public art.
Napoleon III Monument
In the center of Parco Sempione is a monument to Napoleon III (1808-1873). It was made by Francesco Barzaghi (1839-1892) in 1881 but was deemed too controversial to put on display. It was installed at the park in 1927.
Bridge of the Mermaids
The small but attractive Bridge of the Mermaids (Ponte delle Sirenette) crosses an arm of the pond. It was built between 1840 and 1842 by architect Francesco Tettamanzi and spanned a canal in the city center. After the canal was filled in, the bridge was shortened and transferred to its current location in 1930. Two of the four statues are copies, as one of the originals was destroyed by the Allied bombing in August 1943 and the other was stolen in 1948. They were added to the bridge in 1954.
Arch of Peace
On the northwest side of the park is the Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace), which was commissioned by Napoleon in 1807 and designed by architect Luigi Cagnola (1762-1833). The first stone was laid on October 14, 1807, on the first anniversary of the French victory in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, for which the arch was to commemorate. However, construction was abandoned on August 19, 1814, after the fall of Napoleon.
The Austrians took over the project in 1826 and saw it through to completion. It was finally inaugurated on September 10, 1838. The Austrians also rededicated it to peace between European nations.
The bronze monument of the Sestiga della Pace, designed by sculptor Abbondio Sangiorgio (1798-1879) was placed atop the arch on September 15, 1837. It represents the chariot of Eirene, the goddess of peace, entering Milan pulled by six steeds. The statue of the goddess stands 4.22 meters tall. At the corners are four Nikes on horseback made by sculptor Giovanni Putti (1771-1847). Each is holding a laurel wreath and palm.
The arch stands 25 meters high and is 24 meters wide, with the largest arch spanning 14.24 meters. It includes several reliefs depicting battles and historic events as well as sculptures of gods and goddesses.
Historically, the Arch of Peace sits in an area that was a gate to the city called Porta Sempione. The former toll house of Porta Sempione stands next to the arch.
