Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco) Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Sforza Castle. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Milan Duomo & The Last Supper Skip-the-Line Small-Group Tour

• Historic Milan Tour With Skip-the-Line Last Supper Ticket

• Best of Milan Experience Including Da Vinci's The Last Supper and Milan Duomo

• Milan's Hidden Gems: Unique Bike Tour (Eng, Nl)

• Highlights and Hidden Gems of Milan Bike Tour

It’s free to explore Sforza Castle’s courtyard, but the museums and battlements are ticketed. Tickets covering all the museums cost €5, or €3 for students, EU citizens aged 18–25, and people over 65; visitors under 18, as well as travelers with disabilities and their necessary companions, go free. Battlements tickets cost €10, or €5 for those over 65 and under 18.

Yes, Sforza Castle is well worth visiting—and not just because it's a Milan landmark. For history buffs, it's the center of power during the Renaissance. For art and design fans, its museums host Michelangelo's last great sculpture, a Da Vinci mural (sometimes open to the public), furniture pieces including works by Gio Ponti, and more. Tours can help you hit the highlights of the vast fortress without spending too much time—as well as putting the art in its historical and cultural context.

Per one customer who booked the Sforza Castle and Michelangelo's Pietà Rondanini Guided Experience, "We had a private tour of the Castle with Laura. Laura is a historian with a deep understanding of Italian culture and art. She gave us a comprehensive and entertaining narrative of the castle's history and current exhibitions. Leonardo's Pieta is definitely a "must see" unfinished (or as Laura told us "intentionally unfinished"), enigmatic, and magnetic masterpiece of the aging genius. [...]"

Sforza Castle was built in the 15th century over an older fortification under the direction of Francesco Sforza of the Sforza dynasty. It has since undergone expansions and renovations, some by Leonardo da Vinci, and today hosts museums with artworks and artifacts from different periods of Italian history.

No, Milan's Sforza Castle does not charge admission. To enter, walk through the Filarete Tower gate in front of Piazza Castello Fountain or go to the back entrance via Parco Sempione. You can freely walk through the courtyard and public areas but must pay admission to its museums.

The castle is one of Milan’s must-see attractions. Seven museums are inside, including the Museum of Ancient Art in the Ducal apartments, the Pinacoteca, and the Museum of Musical Instruments. The Rondanini Pieta Museum houses Michelangelo’s final work, The Rondanini Pietà sculpture.

Yes, photography is allowed inside Sforza Castle—one of Milan’s most photogenic attractions. According to local law, you can take photographs as long as they are for personal, non-commercial use. However, flash photography is discouraged, and exhibitions may give specific photography guidelines.

It depends. You can tour the courtyard and public spaces in 30 minutes, but visiting even one of the castle’s seven museums takes longer. Plan to spend three to four hours to see the grounds and one or two of the larger museums, though you could spend longer.

There are tons of things to do when you're done visiting Sforza Castle. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in Milan:

• Milan Cathedral

• Da Vinci's Last Supper

• Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

• La Scala

• Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Milan.