Sforza Castle in Milan
After we’ve got our brand new Nissan Qashqai, we wanted to go on an inauguration ride. Well, we live in Germany, and hence wanted to go somewhere where the food is great…
Milan turned out to be an excellent choice: First of, it’s in Italy, so yes, the food is excellent. Second, it’s famous for its last supper, indicating there must be good food there. Third, it’s just 400Km to the south. And fourth, you would never have guessed it:
There’s a castle in Milan! Sforza Castle.
Sforza Castle is rather young: The original construction was started by Lord Galeazzo II Visconti in 1358. According to wikipedia, the first castle had already seven(!) meters thick walls. However, it got destroyed by the Golden Ambrosian Republic (1447–1450) and reconstructed by Francesco Sforza in 1450, who turned it into his princely residence. Numerous artists were hired to decorate the castle. Leonardo da Vinci was one of them. Unfortunately assaults from Italian, French and German troops damaged the castle just a few years later.
Sforza Castle was rebuilt to a fortification in 1550. It covered an area of 25.9 hectares (64 acres) at its maximum stage of expansion, and was one of the largest citadels in Europe during the 16th and 17th century.
The castle suffered heavy damage from various bomb raids in August 1943, but was fortunately rebuild. Nowadays it houses various museums.
Visit Sforza Castle in Milan
If you’re in Milan be sure to allocate at least a whole afternoon. The museums are worth it. If you’re in the mood of a hike, walk around the castle – outside of it. You’ll find a nice park and some ruins from former parts of the castle that have been kept untouched.
Of course there’s plenty of other things you can do in Milan. Having a last supper for example. Or taking a look at a painting of some people who are having a last supper…
Anyway, for more information, please visit the official website of Sforza Castle.
