With the arrival of Napoleone the lands and buildings of Santa Maria alla Fontana where put under requisition by the French army. In 1806 the Emperor disposed to assign some of the facilities to a bronze foundry entrusted to Manfredini brothers, excellent goldsmiths and founders recalled from Paris on purpose. At the new foundry, called Eugenia in honour of viceroy, Manfredinis used to create not only small objects, such as bronze decorations for furniture, pendulums, ink jars and other furnishing equipment, but also works of larger scale and engagement, among which the famous “Sestiga" surmounting the Arc of Peace in Sempione park of Milan.

Santa Maria alla Fontana
The Napoleon age
The Barigozzi family
Bells foundry
Artistic castings