Sforza Castle

Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco) is located in the historic quarter of Milan. This castle, along with Simplon Park (which is located just behind it), was the place that I liked the most during my visit to Milan (in addition to the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II). In all honesty, there is not much more that is worth seeing when visiting this city.

Aside from being a beautiful monument to visit, this castle also forms part of the history of Milan. It is attributed to the Sforza family, and Leonardo Da Vinci took part in one of the castle's decoration works. In fact, some of Da Vinci's works were recently found in the castle underneath a couple of layers of plaster.

Upon arriving at the Piazza Castello, just in front of the main facade, you are supposedly meant to be met by a rather pretty fountain (according to the photos that I saw before going to Milan), but I couldn't see it, as there were some little huts and construction works in that area that obstructed it entirely.

The castle is quite atypical, as it doesn't have that classic form with tall towers. There is a tower in the middle of the structure that has a clock, albeit not being particularly tall, and then there are two lower wings to either side of it that make a rectangular shape towards the rear section with towers in each corner (these aren't tall either, but they are quite thick). There are lots of green spaces dotted all over the castle, in addition to some benches that you can sit on and enjoy the views from.

After passing below the main tower, you will arrive at a huge interior patio that has a rectangular shape, thanks to that of the fortress itself, as I explained just a moment ago. Besides, from here, you can see the main tower, as well as being able to better admire the construction as a whole.

There was also a kind of open-air courtyard space with a rectangular fountain in the middle with flowers.

The final part would be what you see after exiting the other tower - the rear facade of the castle. On the wall, you could see a large amount of thin branches that were almost stuck to it in a way. In addition to this, the green areas there are much lower down and there were some rather large stones in some parts, but you cannot access them.

Nowadays, the castle is home to several art museums. I personally didn’t go to any of then, as my visits to touristy places are usually more “express” and I don’t really understand art, so I prioritise them based on my personal preferences. However, the exterior of the castle is quite pretty and, in my opinion, makes for an entirely separate visit.

This area of Milan surprised me quite a bit, as it has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the city and contrasts it quite significantly. Besides, there isn’t a river that runs through the city and, of the few beautiful gardens that there are in Milan, they are far out from the very centre of the city, which makes it a colder and less charming city to visit.

You can get to the castle via the city’s metro system. The closest stops are: “Cairoli Castello” (line 1), “Cardona FNM-Triennale” (lines 1 and 2), and “Lanza” (also line 2). The stop that sits just in front of the castle ready for the start of your visit is “Cairoli Castello”, whereas the other two sit on either side of it. You can also get there on foot, walking from the Duomo Cathedral, which will take you around 15 minutes.

And if you are wondering how to visit Milan in just 2 days, check out our complete guide with which planning you trip will be much easier!