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Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco) is a large historic castle in Milan. This residence-turned-fortress sits next to Parco Sempione and contains several different city museums. It’s on Piazza Castello on the northwest side of the historic city center.
Introduction to Sforza Castle
The castle was originally built starting in 1360 by Galeazzo II Visconti (c. 1320-1378) and was the residence of the Visconti lords. It was enlarged over time until it was 200 meters long on each side with four towers at the corners. The walls were up to 7 meters (23 feet) thick. The castle was destroyed when the Visconti were overthrown in 1447 by the Golden Ambrosian Republic and Francesco I Sforza (1401-1466).
Sforza himself gained power in 1450 and began rebuilding the castle as a ducal residence. Local painters carried out decorations. Among them was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), who frescoed several rooms between 1494 and 1498. The castle was completed in 1499.
Under Spanish rule in the 16th century, the building was turned into a fortress and the official seat of the government moved to what is now the Royal Palace of Milan. Between 1,000 and 3,000 soldiers lived there at any given time. The Spanish modernized the castle into a star fort starting in 1550 and added 12 bastions. The outer fortifications, designed by architect Vincenzo Seregni (1519-1594), were 3 kilometers long. The castle remained a fortress long after the end of Spanish rule, but the French demolished most of the outer fortifications.
After the unification of Italy in 1861, military use ended and the castle became property of the city. It was restored by Luca Beltrami (1854-1933) starting in the 1880s. It was converted to a civic museum in the 1980s.
Features of the Sforza Castle
The Sforza Castle is on a square plan with towers on the four corners. It was once surrounded by a moat and had entrances with drawbridges on each side.
Filarete Tower
The Filarete Tower (Torre del Filarete) is the central tower of the castle, which was designed in 1452 by Antonio Averlino (c. 1400-c. 1469), better known as Filarete. It was reconstructed between 1900 and 1905 based on 16th century drawings. The original tower was turned into a gunpowder magazine and collapsed after an explosion in 1521.
The current tower is dedicated to Umberto I, who was assassinated five years earlier. It contains a sun clock near the top and a statue of St. Ambrose flanked by the coats of arms of the six Sforza dukes: Francesco I, Galeazzo Maria, Gian Galeazzo, Ludovico, Massimiliano, and Francesco II. Above the entrance is a relief of Umberto I.
Towers of the Sforza Castle
The Carmine Tower (Torrione del Carmine) is on the east corner while the Tower of the Holy Spirit (Torrione di Santo Spirito) is on the south corner. They once housed prisons.
The Castellana Tower (Torre Castellana) is on the north corner and the Falconer Tower (Torre Falconiera) is on the west corner. The Castellana Tower held the Sforza family treasures and important documents.
Ponticella
Above the moat near the Castellana Tower is a small bridge called the Ponticella. It contains three rooms and was built by Ludovico Sforza (1452-1508). It connected to the outer walls that no longer exist.
Courtyard of Arms
Just inside the 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 built in 1576.
Bona Tower
The Bona Tower (Torre di Bona), at the entrance to the ducal residence, was commissioned by Bona of Savoy (1449-1503). She was the wife of Galeazzo Maria Sforza (1444-1476). 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.
Ducal Court
In the residential part of the complex are the Ducal Court (Corte Ducale) and Courtyard of Rocchetta (Cortile della Rocchetta). The Ducal Court is surrounded by the ducal apartments.
Museums at Sforza Castle
Today, the castle houses a collection of eight museums: the Pieta Rondanini Michelangelo Museum (Museo Pietà Rondanini Michelangelo); the Museum of Ancient Art and Armory (Museo d’Arte Antica e Armeria); the Museum of Furniture and Wooden Sculptures (Museo dei Mobili e delle Sculture Lignee); the Art Gallery (La Pinacoteca); the Museum of Decorative Arts (Museo delle Arti Decorative); the Museum of Musical Instruments (Museo degli Strumenti Musicali); the Prehistory and Protohistory Section of the Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico – Sezione Preistoria e Protostoria); and the Egyptian Section of the Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico – Sezione Egizia).
You can visit all the museums, which are open daily except Mondays, on a single ticket. They cost €5 for adults, €3 for seniors age 65+ and EU students age 18-25, and free for kids under 18 (as of May 2025). Audio guides are available in Italian and English for an additional €5.
Furthermore, a ticket to the panoramic rooftop walk is €10 for adults and €5 for seniors age 65+ and kids under 18 (as of May 2025). It’s open Friday through Sunday. The climb requires over 100 steps and visitors are allowed to stay a maximum of 40 minutes.
There’s no admission to walk through the castle courtyards, which are open from 7am to 7:30pm daily. Check the official website for more info.
