The Sforza Castle and his museums

The Sforza Castle is one of the most acknowledged symbols in Milan history and culture. Its first parts started being built by Visconti family in the mid-14th century and since then have been living along with the different town ages, housing Milan court and all the following foreign rulers – the French, the Spanish, the Austrian and Napoleon – all of them changing structure and look during their regencies.

The architect Luca Beltrami brought it back to its glamour on behalf of Comune di Milano, being by the way the one who restored the famous Sala delle Asse by Leonardo da Vinci. The Castle houses, nowadays, cultural sites such as museums and libraries, like the Museum of Ancient Art with its stone statues, the Museum of Forniture and Wooden Sculptures with its wooden artworks, the Pinacoteca with its paintings, the Museo delle Arti decorative with ceramics, bronze and fabric works and, last but not least, the Museum of Rondanini Pietà with the famous artwork by Michelangelo, opened a few years ago. The number of artworks is covering a wide historical period, namely from Middle Ages to the 20^th century.

If you look for a perfect occasion to plunge into local features and history from different points of view and following your own taste, a visit of the Castle is the perfect one. The Museo per tutti guide was written purposedly to gather many experiences to be combined for one or more days, on a range that can vary from the very basic visit of the open-air spaces onto the museums inside. The Museo per tutti guide talks about the Castle, its overall history, the courtyards and their characteristics, proposing the visit of an historical monument with frescoes, statues, fountains and moats where to dive as if directly into history. You will find, within this website, some detailed sheets about the single museums located on two floors, all of them accessible with just one comprehensive entrance ticket.

Some narrow areas (as in case of corridors) and stairways are part of the visit trail (like the one from Pinacoteca to Museum of Decorative Arts) and underline the historical route.

Such an experience, guided by continuous discoveries and by the opportunity to combine different solutions, is due to catch the attention of the visitors, who can’t help being struck by the different figures, historical periods and materials defining the museums and the building itself.