The colossal marble work portrays the general Giovanni Pallavicini (1697-1773), who served in the Austrian Empire under Maria Theresa. Completed by Giovanni Dupré (1817-1882) in 1870, it was positioned in the elegant chapel designed by the engineer Antonio Zannoni (1817-1882).
It was commissioned by Antonio Pallavicini shortly after the sculptor's triumph at the Universal Expo in Paris in 1867.
For the Tuscan sculptor this portrait was a particularly demanding work. Usually when Dupré was asked to produce cemetery works he created marble sculptures marked by a concept of elevation, of suggestive and spiritual beauty. In this case he had to set aside his usual style to focus instead on historical accuracy. The work reveals not only the technical skill of the sculptor but also an adaptation to the realist style of the period, which would continue to be evident in the sculptor's later works.