This castle was built by Milan's ruling family- the Sforzas. Construction began in 1450. Some of the ceilings have paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci. After the unification of Italy in the 19th Century, the castle no longer served a military function. The central tower was rebuilt between 1900 to 1905. The castle was severely damaged by Allied bombings in 1943- but was restored after the war for its current museums. The Castle now has several museums and performing arts areas including the Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco, the Museum of Ancient Art, The Furniture Museum, The Museum of Musical Instruments and the Applied Arts Collection, The Egyptian and Prehistoric sections of the Archaeological Museum and the Achille Bertarelli Print Collection.
http://www.milanocastello.it/ita/home.html 
Buildings - Castles 
