The
Sforza Castle is a spectacular fortified palace built by the
Viscontis and the
Sforzas,
Signori of Milan, who held sway over Northern Italy between the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
The Castle was extensively
renovated around 1900 to house museums and libraries. Particularly outstanding are the art gallery, or
Pinacoteca, reopened after restoration works in April 2005, which boasts paintings by Mantegna, Cesare da Sesto, Canaletto, Bellotto, and the
Museo d'Arte Antica, containing sculptures from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
The Castle's exhibits include the
Rondanini Pietà, last and perhaps most moving masterpiece by Michelangelo.
Elsewhere in the Castle are other collections of old instruments, tapestries, furniture and costumes from bygone centuries, every piece outstanding. See if there are
exhibitions on.