Sforza Castle sits at the northwestern edge of Milan's historic centre like a red-brick colossus that refuses to be ignored. Built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza on the ruins of an earlier Visconti fortification, it was for decades one of the most powerful courts in Renaissance Europe — a place where Leonardo da Vinci painted ceilings, Bramante designed rooms, and the politics of the Italian peninsula were quietly shaped. The sheer scale of the place still catches people off guard: the outer walls alone stretch nearly a kilometre, enclosing a vast courtyard that opens onto the sprawling Parco Sempione beyond.
Castle