Castello Sforzesco is one of the main symbols of Milan and the most significant secular monument of the city. It is a huge brick fortress in the very center, between Piazza Castello and Sempione Park, which for seven centuries has witnessed the rises and falls of Milan`s rulers.
Today it is not only an architectural monument, but also a large museum complex, which houses the last work of Michelangelo, frescoes by Leonardo da Vinci, and thousands of other works of art.
History of Castello Sforzesco
The first fortress on this site was built in 1358–1368 by order of Galeazzo II Visconti. It was called "Porta Giovia" and defended the entrance to the city from the northwest. Under Filippo Maria Visconti, the castle became a ducal residence, but in 1447, after the proclamation of the Ambrosian Republic, it was partially destroyed — the Milanese saw in it a symbol of tyranny.
A new life for the castle began in 1450, when Francesco Sforza, who had married Bianca Maria Visconti, came to power. He rebuilt the fortress anew, turning it into an impregnable stronghold and at the same time an elegant residence. It was then that the castle received the name by which it is known today. During the reign of Galeazzo Maria Sforza and Ludovico Moro, Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante worked here — the castle became the center of one of the most brilliant Renaissance cultures in Europe.
With the fall of the Sforza dynasty and the establishment of Spanish and then Austrian rule, the castle turned into a barracks and a prison. In 1521, lightning struck the gunpowder store, and the main Filarete Tower blew up. In the 19th century, after the unification of Italy, the Milanese proposed to demolish the castle, but the historical approach prevailed: in 1893–1905, the architect Luca Beltrami carried out an extensive restoration that returned the fortress to its Renaissance appearance. The Filarete Tower was rebuilt in 1905 and dedicated to King Umberto I.
Architecture and Appearance
Castello Sforzesco is a square in plan with powerful fortress walls and four corner cylindrical towers. The main entrance is through the tall Filarete Tower, crowned with battlements and sculptural decorations. Once inside, you find yourself on the vast Piazza d`Armi — the former parade ground where the garrison once marched.
The inner space is divided into several courtyards: the Piazza d`Armi, the Rocchetta courtyard, and the Ducal Court (Corte Ducale), surrounded by the two-story buildings of the palace of Galeazzo Maria Sforza. The Rocchetta is the inner citadel, the most protected part of the castle. It is connected to the Ducal Court by the elegant Ponticella loggia, attributed to Bramante. The walls of the castle are made of red brick, and the corner towers are clad in gray stone with a faceted surface — the so-called "diamond rustication."
Museums of Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco is not just a fortress, but a whole museum town. Within its walls are housed seven specialized museums, covering the history of art from antiquity to the 20th century.
Museum of Ancient Art
The museum occupies the ducal apartments and tells the history of Milan through sculpture and painting of the 5th–16th centuries. Here are presented early Christian sarcophagi, Lombard sculpture, tombstones, and fragments of architectural decoration from Milanese monasteries and palaces. Among the pearls of the collection are the equestrian tomb of Bernabò Visconti and reliefs depicting the triumph of Milan over Barbarossa.
Sala delle Asse
The Sala delle Asse, or "Room of the Planks," is the only surviving part of the palace where Leonardo da Vinci worked. In the 1490s, he painted the vaults in the form of intertwining mulberry branches forming a pergola. Unfortunately, the hall is currently closed for restoration, so it is worth checking its availability before visiting.
Pinacoteca
The city picture gallery, founded in 1878, occupies the second floor of the Ducal Court. The collection contains more than 1,500 works, including works by Andrea Mantegna ("Madonna Trivulzio"), Vincenzo Foppa, Bramantino, as well as Venetian masters — Titian, Tintoretto, and Canaletto.
Museum Rondanini and Michelangelo`s "Pietà"
The most famous treasure of the castle is the "Pietà Rondanini," the last, unfinished work of Michelangelo Buonarroti. The sculptor worked on it until his death in 1564, and it remained unfinished. Today it is displayed in a specially created space — the hall of the former Spanish Hospital (Ospedale Spagnolo). This sculpture can be viewed from all sides — which is rare for works by Michelangelo.
Museum of Musical Instruments
One of the largest collections of musical instruments in Europe: more than 700 exhibits from the 15th–20th centuries. Here you can see ancient lutes, violins, viols, harpsichords, and wind instruments by famous masters.
Egyptian Archaeological Museum
The exposition includes about 3,000 objects telling about ancient Egyptian civilization: sarcophagi, mummies, ritual objects, and fragments of the "Book of the Dead" from the 13th–12th centuries BC.
Museum of Decorative Arts and Furniture
The collection covers decorative and applied arts from the early Christian era to the 20th century: ceramics, majolica, porcelain, glass, bronze and ivory items, as well as tapestries of the "Twelve Months," created after sketches by Bramantino. The Furniture Museum shows the evolution of the Italian interior from ducal wardrobes to 20th-century design.
Practical Information
• Address: Piazza Castello, 3, Milano.
• Getting there: metro lines M1 or M2, station Cairoli Castello; also trams 1, 2, 4, 12, 14, 19.
• Opening hours: the inner courtyards are open daily from 7:00 to 19:30. The museums of Castello Sforzesco operate from Tuesday to Sunday, usually from 9:00 or 10:00 to 17:30; Monday — closed. The ticket office closes one hour before the museums close.
• Tickets: admission to the courtyards of the castle is free. A single ticket to the museums costs about 5–10 euros depending on age and exhibitions. Free admission — on the first Sunday of the month and on the first and third Tuesdays after 14:00.
• Tips: allow at least 2–3 hours for the visit if you plan to see several museums. Be sure to look at the "Pietà Rondanini" — it is the main reason to buy a ticket. After the visit, exit through the back gates into Sempione Park — a huge green area where you can rest by the pond with a view of the castle.
Castello Sforzesco is Milan in miniature: a fortress that became a palace, a palace that became a barracks, and a barracks that became a museum. Here you can see how art and power intertwined over seven centuries. Leonardo and Michelangelo, the Visconti and the Sforza, Spanish garrisons and Milanese restorers — all of them left their mark within these walls.
