Sforza Castle

The Visconti built a fortress here in the fourteenth century, the Ambrosian Republic tore it down, and Francesco Sforza rebuilt it from 1450 as a ducal residence; Leonardo worked on decoration including the Sala delle Asse, whose ceiling is painted as an interlaced canopy of mulberry branches. The castle now holds several municipal museums. Among them is the Rondanini Pietà, Michelangelo's last sculpture, worked on until days before his death in 1564 and left unfinished, with an earlier arm still attached beside the reworked figures; it is displayed alone in a former hospital hall inside the walls.

Background

Galeazzo II Visconti ordered the first castle between 1358 and 1370, and people called it the Castello di Porta Giova, or Porta Zubia, after a nearby gate in the city walls. His successors enlarged it into a square castle with sides 200 m long, a tower at each corner and walls of up to 7 metres. In 1452 Francesco Sforza engaged the sculptor and architect Filarete to design the central tower, still called the Torre del Filarete, and the tower named after Bona of Savoy followed in 1476. The architect Pietro Antonio Solari drew on the castle for his work on the Moscow Kremlin in 1485. Luca Beltrami rebuilt it extensively in 1891-1905.

Source: Wikipedia, "Sforza Castle"

What to look for

• The Rondanini Pietà - Michelangelo's last, unfinished sculpture.
• The Sala delle Asse - Leonardo's painted canopy of interlaced branches.
• The courtyards - free open spaces inside the ducal walls.
• The museums - antiquity, furniture, arms and painting collections.

When to go

Year-round; museums close Mondays while the courtyards stay open. The park behind, Parco Sempione, extends the visit. Free entry applies at certain times.

Before you go

The Sala delle Asse has been under restoration with limited or partial access for extended periods. Museums are many and uneven; the castle rewards selective visiting.

Nearby

The Last Supper lies west; the Brera gallery is northeast.

Key facts