Some monuments are built specifically to tell a story—or rather, the version of history that their creators wish to convey. A prime example is the Arco della Pace (Arch of Peace) in Milan, with the unique characteristic that this arch has already told three different stories depending on who controlled it (and who knows what stories it might tell in the future). Constructed in the style of ancient arches, its building began in 1807 during the Napoleonic era to celebrate Napoleon’s victory over the Prussians at the Battle of Jena. In fact, a previous wooden version of the arch had been temporarily erected the year before at the entrance to the road leading from Milan to the Simplon Pass and France, to celebrate the arrival of Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais in Milan. The temporary monument garnered such fame that it was decided to replace it with a permanent one made of marble.

Ironically, when Napoleon was defeated, the arch intended to commemorate the greatness of French arms was instead completed under the rule of Austrian Emperor Ferdinand II. It was modified to celebrate the victory of the Allied powers against Napoleonic France. Bas-reliefs were added, depicting moments of triumph for the monarchs of the anti-Napoleonic coalition, such as the Battle of Leipzig and the triumphant entry of the Emperor into Paris. During this period, the structure was also renamed the "Arch of Peace," in line with the program of concord among the monarchies of the Holy Alliance, which opposed any revolutionary upheavals. Even the statue of a chariot atop the arch was turned in the opposite direction, away from France, towards which it had originally faced.

However, another chapter of history was yet to be written. In 1859, the French Emperor Napoleon III and the King of Piedmont and Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy, triumphantly entered Milan after defeating the Austrians. Although the depictions completed under the Habsburgs were not destroyed, the inscription on the arch’s cornice was changed to celebrate the "liberation" of Milan by the two sovereigns.