Canova and Kiss sculptures in Miramare Park

The park of Miramare Castle in Trieste, spanning 22 hectares, houses a collection of sculptures that complement its botanical garden. Among them are copies of classical marbles like the Venus of Capua and the Medici Apollo, as well as modern works including Antonio Canova's Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker and August Kiss's Amazon, a replica of the one in front of the Altes Museum in Berlin. The park functions as an open-air museum. The castle was the eclectic residence of the Archdukes of Austria, particularly Archduke Maximilian, who began collecting at age sixteen, amassing objects such as caskets, clocks, chinoiserie, and archaeological finds. He and his wife Charlotte shared a passion for botanical art, currently the subject of an exhibition.