Castello Sforzesco

Castello Sforzesco, also known as Castello Di Porta Gioia, is a 15th century castle built by Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Napoleon ordered the demolition of the castle in 1800 and a year later the Spanish bastions and towers were destroyed. The castle was then rebuilt by Luca Beltrami between 1891-1905. Today, the castle houses several museums including:

1. The Museum of Ancient Art: Houses several of the Sforza family’s paintings and sculptures from Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period.

2. The Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco: Has over 1.500 works of art created between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries.

3. The Museum of Musical Instruments: Contains curious instruments from all over the world.

4. The Egyptian Museum: Showcases several objects from Egypt, including statues, mummies, sarcophaguses and death masks.

5. The Archaeological Museum of Milan: Contains objects and items from the main cultures that lived in Lombardy from the Neolithic to the Romanization period.

6. The Applied arts Collection: Displays the work of pottery makers, sculptors, upholsterers and weavers.

7. The Antique Furniture and Wooden Sculpture Museum: Features antiques dating from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries.

Activities

Exciting and memorable things to do

Best of Milan Walking Tour

Explore the best of Milan on this walking tour. Skip the line at the Santa Maria delle Grazie cathedral and view Leonarda da Vinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper.” Then explore the Teatro alla Scala, the Duomo di Milano, the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, the Arco della Pace and the Parco Sempione. Finally, stroll through the fashion district, and check out other popular spots with the locals.