Rome and Milan: Eternal and Visionary Capitals of Neoclassicism
Italian translation of the exhibition catalogue published by Allemandi.
Milan, Gallerie d’Italia, 28 November 2025 – 6 April 2026
From 1796 to 1815, between Napoleon’s campaign in Italy, the defeat at Waterloo, and the Congress of Vienna, the Italian peninsula underwent profound political, economic, and social transformations that also reshaped its artistic scene. While Florence, Venice, Genoa, and Naples declined, Rome and Milan emerged as cultural capitals: Rome, with its ancient and Renaissance heritage, attracted artists from all over the world; Milan was transformed into the modern city of the new Napoleonic era.
The exhibition aims to celebrate this creative period by bringing into dialogue works by Antonio Canova, Giuseppe Bossi, and Andrea Appiani, thereby illustrating the construction of Italy’s image and its iconography. Among the works on display stands out Canova’s large horse model, recently restored, alongside major masterpieces by Giuseppe Bossi.
The exhibition also presents the Foro Bonaparte, designed by Giovanni Antonio Antolini, one of the most ambitious urban planning projects in history. Although it was never realised, the design reflects Milan’s aspiration to become the new Rome. Equally significant is the evocation of Napoleon’s coronation as King of Italy in Milan Cathedral, illustrated through the so-called Onori d’Italia, the recently restored ceremonial robes.
Francesco Leone, Elena Lissoni, and Fernando Mazzocca are the curators.