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Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco) is a large castle in Milan. This residence-turned-fortress sits next to Sempione Park and contains several different city museums.
History
Sforza Castle was built between 1360 and 1499. It was the property of the Visconti lords until Francesco I Sforza gained power in 1450 and turned it into a ducal residence. Under Spanish rule in the 16th century, the building was turned into a fortress. In the 19th century, the castle became property of the city and was restored by Luca Beltrami.
Admission
There’s no admission to walk through the castle courtyards, which are open from 7am to 7:30pm daily. You can visit all the museums, which are open daily except Mondays, on a single ticket costing €8 (as of June 2024).
Filarete Tower
The central tower of the castle is called Filarete Tower (Torre del Filarete). It’s a reconstruction of the original that was designed in 1452. The original tower was turned into a gunpowder magazine and collapsed in 1521.
The current tower, which was built in 1905, is dedicated to Umberto I, who was assassinated five years earlier. It contains a sun clock and the coat of arms of the Sforza rulers as well as a relief of Umberto I.
Outside the Filarete Tower is Piazza Castello, which contains a nice fountain. We stopped and had some roasted chestnuts and hot wine in front of the fountain while admiring the scenery.
Defensive Features
The Carmine Tower (Torrione del Carmine) is to the right of the Filarete Tower while the Tower of the Holy Spirit (Torrione di Santo Spirito) is to the left. They once housed prisons.
There are two northern towers, Castellana Tower (Torre Castellana) and Falconer Tower (Torre Falconiera). Castellana Tower held the Sforza family treasures and important documents.
Sforza Castle was surrounded by a moat and had four different entrances. Above the moat near the Castellana Tower is a small bridge called the Ponticella. It contains three rooms and was built by Ludovico il Moro.
Inside the Castle
Just inside the castle at Filarete Tower is the Courtyard of Arms (Cortile delle Armi). In this large courtyard is a moat that once surrounded the medieval walls as well as a Spanish military hospital.
The Bona Tower (Torre di Bona), at the entrance to the ducal residence, was commissioned by Bona di Savoia. She was the wife of Galeazzo Maria Sforza. After he was stabbed to death on December 26, 1476, Bona moved into the safest part of the castle and had the tower built to make it even stronger. In later years, the tower was used as a prison.
In the residential part of the complex are the Ducal Court (Corte Ducale) and Courtyard of Rocchetta (Cortile della Rocchetta). We were only able to see the Ducal Court, which is surrounded by the ducal apartments.
Conclusion
While we were only able to walk through and around Sforza Castle, we enjoyed what we saw. On a future visit we hope to spend some time in the museums and take the guided tour.
