Castello Sforzesco

In 1450, Francesco Sforza demolished the ruins of the Visconti castle and built his own fortress on the bones of the old one. The Castello Sforzesco became one of Europe’s largest citadels, expanded and reinforced over the next two centuries as Milan changed hands between French kings, Spanish governors, and Austrian rulers. Leonardo da Vinci painted frescoes in the Sala delle Asse. Napoleon ordered the demolition of its outer fortifications in 1801, turning the military stronghold into something closer to a public park. By the late 19th century, it was crumbling. Architect Luca Beltrami led a controversial restoration, rebuilding the central tower in 1905 based on old sketches after the original collapsed in 1521. Today, the castle houses seven museums. Michelangelo’s final sculpture, the unfinished Rondanini Pietà, sits in a quiet room on the upper floor. One fortress. Five centuries of conquest, demolition, and resurrection.