Milan and its castles. Plural.

The city of Milan is well known for its many landmarks: from the Duomo Cathedral to the Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”. Among the main attractions of the city there is for sure the Castello Sforzesco ( aka the Sforza Castle) which is known by many to be the only castle in Milan. However a walk along the city streets of the capital of fashion and design may hold some surprises for lovers of medieval art and architecture. But let’s proceed in order.

The Sforza Castle in Milan

The Sforza Castle is named after the duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza, who ordered its construction on the ruins of a 14th Century fortification, in the middle of the 15th Century. In 1452 the duke hired one of the most important architect of those times, Antonio di Pietro Averlino (aka Filarete), who designed the main entrance and tower of the Sforza Castle, which is still known as Torre Filarete.

You can visit it and the many museums hosted within its medieval walls according to the schedule available of the castle’s official website.

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🇬🇧The Torre del Filarete stands proudly above the main entrance of the Sforza Castle in Milano. It was first built in 1452 but was completely destroyed in 1521 when a French soldier accidentally detonated a bomb when the tower was used as an armory. It was then rebuilt in 1905 by architect Luca Beltrami and dedicated to the King of Italy Humbert the first assassinated in Monza on the 29th of July 1900. 🇮🇹La Torre del Filarete si staglia orgogliosamente sopra l’ingresso principale del castello Sforzesco di Milano. Fu costruita nel 1452 ma fu poi distrutta dall’esplosione di una bomba innescata accidentalmente da un soldato francese quando la torre veniva usata come un’armeria. Fu poi ricostruita nel 1905 dall’architetto Luca Beltrami nel 1905 e dedicata al re Umberto I assassinato il 29 Luglio 1900 a Monza. . . . #milano #milanocity #instamilano #igersmilano #yesmilano #vivimilano #milanodavedere #milanodascoprire #milanese #milan #milano🇮🇹 #castle #sforzacastle #castellosforzesco #castlephotography #castles_oftheworld #architecture #architecturephotography #architecturelovers #archidaily #archilovers #travel #travelgram #travelphotography #travelblogger #travelblog #travelgram

Un post condiviso da The MCJ (@themilancityjournal) in data: 15 Ott 2020 alle ore 1:52 PDT

Palazzo Cova: the “other” castle of Milan

If the Sforza castle is known the world over to be THE castle of Milan a southbound metro ride from Piazza Cairoli ( where the Sforza Castle is) to the Sant’ Ambrogio station on the green line will let you wonder “How many castle are there in Milan?”

Once overground you will be amazed by the magnificent Palazzo Cova, the other castle of Milan.

The castello is actually a palazzo and was built between 1910 and 1915 on a project by architect Adolfo Coppedè. It is an astonishing example of the so-called gothic revival architecture which spread around Europe during the late 18^th century, in contrast with the neo-classical style.

A third castle for Milan

Back at the beginning of the 20th century the Palazzo Cova was not the only example of gothic revival architecture. Another pioneer of this trend decided that he wanted his own castle. This time north of Milan, at 46 Viale Monza, the main avenue leading towards the city of Monza from the city centre of Milan.

The building features four different floors plus the little tower which the owner of the unusual edification decided to keep for himself. It is nowadays still a private property and visits are usually not allowed. However if you happen to be in the area you may want to ask to the doorman if he can give you a tour of it.