Sitting in the heart of Milan you’ll find the massive Sforza Castle complex (Castello Sforzesco). The castle was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. For several centuries it was home to the powerful Sforza family, whose influence in Milan was similar to the Medici’s in Florence. The castle was decorated by some great artists, including the remarkable Leonardo da Vinci (whose frescoes in several rooms are currently being restored).
The castle has four entrances and is dominated by a 70 m tall tower, “Torre del Filarete”, and a number of impressive circular keep-towers. It’s of rectangular design and has walls that are up to 7 meters thick.
(Torre del Filarete)
The castle was damaged after the Sforza period in a number of wars, and was turned into a military complex including as the barracks of the Italian army. The castle was restored in the 19th century and became the headquarters of the Milan’s Civic Museums. It was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in World War II, but that damage has also been repaired.
The grounds are spacious and very pleasant to explore. The castle adjoins a large park, and visiting the park and castle complex is popular with the locals on weekends.
The Castello complex includes several museums, including modern and antiquities art collections, an Egyptian museum, and a museum of musical instruments. We did not explore all of the collections, but here’s a sampling of some art that caught our eye:
Our main reason for visiting was to see Michelangelo’s last work, the Pietà Rondanini. The work is incomplete, but does give some insights into the artist’s changing perspectives as he aged, as this is at least his third Pieta. The detailed anatomically correct work of the past has seemingly been abandoned for the emotion of the piece — suffering, death, grieving. One never knows how it would have looked had Michelangelo lived to complete it, but here are some views of the piece from a few different perspectives.
There is a lovely fountain outside the castle, impressive by day but even more beautiful at night.
All-in-all, my wife and I spent a pleasant half-day exploring the Castle. Could have used a full day to see more details, but we felt we’d had a nice experience.
