Castello Sforzesco

The Castello Sforzesco stands in Milan as a sprawling fortress and one of the city's most enduring symbols. Francesco Sforza, a mercenary captain newly made Duke of Milan, rebuilt it in the fifteenth century. His new castle rose on the remains of the Porta Giovia fortress, a medieval forerunner from the century before.

The Visconti family, who ruled the city for almost a century, had begun that earlier stronghold for defence. When Sforza took power, he kept the Visconti crest as his own and turned the castle into a dynastic residence. Leonardo da Vinci and Bramante later lent their skill to its decoration and architecture. Between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the complex ranked among the largest military citadels in Europe. Wars left their scars, and Luca Beltrami restored the fortress in a historical style during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Inside, cultural institutions and imposing museums have taken over, and you can explore the vast courtyards. Their halls hold a wide range of art collections and historical artefacts. Beneath it all, one of the four defensive castles of Roman Milan once stood where you now walk.