Researchers recently discovered underground tunnels beneath the Sforza Castle in Milan that were once painted by Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519), the Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor and architect.

Researchers have long speculated about those tunnels on the basis of drawings by da Vinci around 1495. They made an attempt to digitise the lower structure of the castle in 2021-23, using modern technology, like Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) and LiDAR scanning method. Researchers recently revealed that the process helped them to discover the secret tunnels.

Francesca Biolo, an architect and a research fellow at the Politecnico di Milano, has claimed that the construction of the Sforza Castle began in the mid-13th Century, stressing: “Leonardo da Vinci, best known for his artistic masterpieces, was also one of the most innovative engineers of the Renaissance period. During his time in Milan, he worked extensively on fortifications and military defences, designing improvements for castles, walls and underground structures.” She added: “His detailed sketches of Sforza Castle, created in the late 15th Century, contained hidden clues about the castle’s underground layout, including passageways that had never been confirmed through excavation.” Biolo told CNN: “Our findings serve as yet another reminder of how deeply embedded history is within our cities.” According to the architect, understanding history, as well as architecture, is crucial for preserving cultural heritage.

It may be noted that Duke Ludovico Sforza built the Sforza Castle in the 15th Century. Later, it became a key military stronghold. Interestingly, Duke Sforza urged da Vinci to design fortifications. Researchers have discovered that while one underground passageway runs along the castle’s moat, a second hidden tunnel is located about 1mt below the surface. It seems that soldiers used the second tunnel to defend the castle. Researchers have detected further underground structures, including tunnels possibly leading to the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the burial place of the duke’s wife. Historical sources suggest that Duke Sforza might have built this passage to reach the tomb of his wife quite easily. However, more research is required to confirm this connection.

The strong resemblance between da Vinci’s drawings and defensive structures beneath the Sforza Castle has helped researchers to come to the conclusion that the painter designed those tunnels. Dr Francesca Fiorani, an Art History Professor at the University of Virginia, told CNN: “Most of Leonardo’s architectural drawings were ideas for innovative buildings rather than actual blueprints for construction.” She believes that further investigation would determine whether his sketches match the recently discovered tunnels.

Meanwhile, Biolo has claimed that various parts of the castle’s original underground structures still remain intact, despite centuries of demolitions and reconstructions! “The underground holds traces of our past – not just from this era, but from many others,” she said. Biolo informed the press that her team would continue working on conservation projects across Italy with the help of modern technology in an attempt to protect forgotten heritage sites.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das