Castello Sforzesco

Castello Sforzesco is a castle in Vigevano, located in an elevated position in the historical center of the town, near Piazza Ducale and the Cathedral of Sant’Ambrogio.

The castle covers an area of about 70,000 square meters, being one of the largest fortified complexes in Europe.

Castello Sforzesco houses Pinacoteca Casimiro Ottone, the National Archaeological Museum of Lomellina (Museo Archeologico Nazionale della Lomellina) and the Pietro Bertolini International Footwear Museum (Museo Internazionale della Calzatura Pietro Bertolini).

SHORT HISTORY OF CASTELLO SFORZESCO

The primitive castle of Vigevano, built in the 7th century, consisted of a small wooden structure.

Before the 10th century, the structure was replaced by a building with brick walls and was separated from the town by a moat.

Luchino Visconti, podestà (chief magistrate) of Vigevano between 1319 and 1337, decided to transform the village into a defensive stronghold.

With this in mind, in 1341, he built a defensive fortress, located at a certain distance from the ancient castle, on the eastern limit of the village. At the same time, the work of transforming the old castle into a ducal residence began.

The new structure had a quadrangular plan formed by crenellated walls, with towers at the corners and an entrance tower in front. The works were directed by Giacomo of Cozzo and Giovanni of Ferrara.

In 1347, the two fortresses were joined by a covered road, a large fortified structure 164 meters long and 7.50 wide.

In 1447, at the end of the Visconti domination, the population of Vigevano destroyed the external fortress.

In 1449, Vigevano was besieged by Bartolomeo Colleoni and Francesco I Sforza, the new lord of Milan. After the conquest, Sforza repaired the damage caused by the siege.

In 1466, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, as soon as he succeeded his father Francesco, ordered new interventions that definitively transformed the castle into a ducal palace.

In 1472, the new Duke intervened on two old buildings, located along the southern wall of the ancient village, raising them and modifying the ground floor with the insertion of a double colonnade with cross vaults and new windows.

In 1475, he built a bridge with a loggia, located south of the castle, while shortly before his death he began the construction of the falconry building, later completed by Ludovico il Moro (the Moor).

Ludovico il Moro, born in Vigevano, completed the process of transformation of the castle into a residence.

The buildings in the courtyard of Castello Sforzesco were demolished, a third stable and the kitchen were built, closing the circuit of buildings surrounding the large courtyard.

The castle was enlarged on the east side, with the creation of a hanging garden enclosed by two porticoed buildings designed by Donato Bramante.

The Sforza dominion ended with Francesco II Sforza, who completed the pictorial decorations of the palace.

The most substantial changes to the complex were made starting with the first half of the 19th century.

Before 1824, the west side of the moat was filled and the curtain wall of the castle was demolished. In 1855, following the partial collapse of the central body, this was rebuilt by the architect Ludovico Inverardi. The same architect designed the entrance from Corso della Repubblica in Neo-Gothic style.

In the second half of the 19th century, the moat was completely covered and the excavation of the hanging garden was carried out.

During the works, the ducal chapel of the Sforza disappeared, and nine frescoes, of which eight attributed to Bernardino Ferrari, were transferred to the Town Hall of Vigevano.

In 1980, after a decade of abandonment following the cessation of use by the military, the restoration and recovery works of the large complex of buildings began.

The National Archaeological Museum of Lomellina, inaugurated in 1998 inside the complex and expanded in 2018, collects archaeological evidence from the Lomellina area.

In 2009, the Pietro Bertolini International Footwear Museum was transferred to the rooms located above the second stable of the complex.

ARCHITECTURE OF CASTELLO SFORZESCO

The complex of Castello Sforzesco consists of the entrance tower, work by Bramante, three large stables, a Neo-Gothic entrance hall, a body with a loggia, a bridge with an aerial loggia, the main building, two 19th-century bodies placed between the keep and the tower, the covered passage, and the old fortress located to the east.

The origin of the Bramante Tower, located at the highest point in the city, near the castle, dates back to 1198. The tower was completed at the end of the 15th century, while the Baroque onion dome was added in the 17th century.

The tower, similar to the Filarete’s Tower of the Sforzesco Castle in Milan, is made up of sections that narrow as you approach the top. From its terraces, it is possible to admire Piazza Ducale, the Cathedral of Vigevano, and the whole city.

TIP: If you want to discover the history of the Sforzesco Castle in Vigevano, and to visit the museums located in the complex, you can buy an online ticket in advance. If you only want to visit the Bramante Tower, you can buy this ticket.

HOW TO GET TO CASTELLO SFORZESCO

Castello Sforzesco is located about 550 meters away from the Vigevano railway station. To find the castle on foot, use the map below.