Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker

Napoleone come Marte Pacificatore is a colossal bronze sculpture displayed in the courtyard of Palazzo di Brera in Milan. The figure portrays Bonaparte as the Roman god Mars and rests on a base of granite and Carrara marble decorated with bronze ornaments.

Antonio Canova created this bronze cast in 1811 from metal salvaged from cannons at Castel Sant'Angelo. The sculptor executed the work following a commission from French ambassador Charles-Jean-Marie Alquier to commemorate military authority.

The figure combines classical Roman imagery with early 19th-century political messaging. It shows how sculpture was used to communicate power and ideology through mythological references.

The sculpture sits in the courtyard open to the public and is visible from outside the building. Visit during daylight hours to see the details of the figure and its ornamental base clearly.

The winged victory figure held by the sculpture is not the original – it was replicated in the 1980s after disappearing in 1978. This restoration detail reveals how older artworks sometimes need careful reconstruction over time.