The obelisk of Arcole is the only trophy still existing in Italy among the many erected to the glory of Napoleon. The construction of the Napoleonic obelisk of Arcole is part of the propaganda action carried out by Napoleon even in Italy starting in 1802, when he was elected President of the Cisalpine Republic and the birth of the Italian Republic was proclaimed.
In memory of the war against the Austrians, in the famous painting by Gros, Napoleon chose the Battle on the Arcole Bridge from November 15-17, 1796, where he is depicted on the bridge, with a flag in hand and his sword drawn.
