Leonardo da Vinci's Masterpieces (Self Guided), Milan

In the middle of Milan’s traffic, fashion crowds, and espresso-fueled conversations, there’s a place that lowers the volume - the Ambrosian Library & Art Gallery. It was founded in 1603 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo, who returned from Rome inspired and decided Milan needed a serious home for books, art, and big ideas. The cardinal named it after Saint Ambrose, the city’s patron. Subtle branding, Renaissance style...

What he created was no modest reading room. We’re talking more than 36,000 manuscripts and over 750,000 prints. Shelves upon shelves of theology, science, poetry, philosophy - the kind of place where curiosity stretches its legs. It’s a Renaissance time capsule, where religion, scholarship, and aesthetics sit at the same table and get along rather well...

And then there’s Leonardo. The library houses the Codex Atlanticus, twelve hefty volumes of drawings and notes by Leonardo da Vinci, created between 1478 and 1519. Open those pages, and you find yourself inside a mind that refused to stay in one lane. Mechanics. Astronomy. Botany. Architecture. Mathematics. Even fables. It’s less a notebook and more a portable universe.

Walk into the Pinacoteca, the gallery section, and the names keep coming. Leonardo’s Portrait of a Musician hangs here. So does Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio - proof that even a simple bowl of produce can look dramatic under the right lighting. You’ll also find Raphael’s full-scale preparatory drawing for The School of Athens - yes, the same masterpiece whose final version lives in the Vatican.

The collection doesn’t stop with Italian stars. Islamic manuscripts, an 11th-century diwan of poets, the oldest copy of the Kitab Sibawayh, the Ambrosian Iliad - it’s an intellectual world tour without leaving the building.

In essence, this place is where Milan exhales. You can stand inches away from genius, watch restorers quietly bringing centuries-old works back to life, and feel that rare museum calm that makes you slow down.

Pro tip: Come on a weekday. The map is clear, the highlights are easy to spot, and sometimes it feels like the whole Renaissance is waiting just for you.

Now let’s turn to the heavyweight of Milanese history: Sforzesco Castle. One of the largest fortresses in Europe, it began life in the 14th century as the power base of the Duchy of Milan. And power bases, as you might imagine, tend to attract trouble. Battles, invasions, looting, destruction - the castle has seen it all.

Take the Filarete Tower. In 1521, lightning struck the structure, which, at the time, was used to store ammunition. The result was a catastrophic explosion, heavy casualties, and major damage. Not exactly the kind of fireworks you plan for...

Slide into the Napoleonic era, and things didn’t calm down much either. The castle was damaged again and repurposed as military quarters. Its frescoed ducal rooms, apparently, were found perfect for stables. Horses where dukes once walked... Indeed, history has a sense of irony.

Then came the twist. After Italy’s Unification in the late 19th century, architect Luca Beltrami led a major restoration. By 1905, the castle was handed back to Milan - not as a fortress, but as a cultural landmark. Today, it houses seven museums and stands as one of the city’s main artistic centers.

Inside, the real showstopper waits in the Sala delle Asse. Look up. That extraordinary ceiling fresco was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, commissioned by the Sforza family. Sixteen mulberry trees rise overhead, their branches woven together with a golden rope, forming an illusion of a pergola. It feels less like a room and more like standing beneath a Renaissance garden canopy.

Sure thing, every room here offers two layers of art: what hangs on the walls - and what stretches above your head. Even the ceilings compete for attention.

If you're on a budget, there's good news. Entry to the castle grounds is free. You can wander the courtyards, admire the architecture, and soak in the scale without paying a cent. The full museum ticket is reasonably priced - and well worth it.

Planning tip: exploring everything, including the surrounding gardens, is not a quick stop. So, give it time. And if you happen to be here on the first or third Tuesday of the month around 2 pm, museum entry is free. Also, if you want access to the battlements, you’ll need to book a guided tour in advance.

Behold Casa Atellani, an awe-inspiring 15th-century palace located in the heart of Milan. During the reign of Ludovico Maria Sforza, regent of the Duchy of Milan, he generously granted building permits to his courtiers and collaborators to construct lavish buildings along the road axis of the ancient village of Porta Vercellina. The Atellani family, one of the privileged courtiers, purchased this palace from the Landi counts of Piacenza in 1490, and the Duke donated it to them. The palace was famous for the sumptuous parties thrown by the Atellanis, which attracted the most prominent personalities of the Sforza court, and the tales of their grandeur were documented in several chronicles of that era.

Besides featuring 15th-century frescoes, coats of arms, and paintings, this palace also boasts of neoclassical elements dating back to the 1920s restoration executed by the iconic architect Piero Portaluppi. Regrettably, the palace was severely damaged during the Second World War by air raids; however, its glorious garden, which encompasses the renowned Da Vinci's Vineyard, has endured the ravages of time.

When Leonardo da Vinci was working on The Last Supper mural, he lodged in Casa Atellani. The Duke gifted the property's vineyard, a rectangular plot of 60x175 meters, to the artist in 1498 as a tribute to his prodigious talent. Being from a family of winemakers, Leonardo cherished this vineyard, and even after he left Milan, he remained emotionally attached to it.

During the Expo 2015, the University of Milan collaborated with the Casa Atellani administration to replant Leonardo's vineyard. The replanting was based on the DNA analysis of the remains of the Malvasia di Candia Aromatica vines, a white grape variety that was popular during the Renaissance period, discovered during excavations. This was done in an attempt to recreate the wine that Leonardo may have tasted himself.

A visit to the vineyard is undoubtedly a must-do activity while in Da Vinci's Milan. However, one needs to book in advance to witness the glory of this living history.

Santa Maria delle Grazie (the Church of Holy Mary of Grace) is a world-famous church and Dominican convent in Milan, included in the UNESCO World Heritage sites list. The Duke of Milan, Francesco I Sforza, ordered the building of Santa Maria delle Grazie in the 15th century. The design of its apse has been attributed to Donato Bramante, who at that time was in the service of the Duchy. While adhering to the overall Gothic style of the convent, he added some Romanesque touches as well.

The church is primarily famous for the mural of The Last Supper (Il Cenacolo Vinciano) found in the refectory of the convent. Created by Leonardo da Vinci for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza and the Duchess, this 15th-century wall painting was made on a dry wall rather than on wet plaster, and, thus, is not truly a fresco. A fresco cannot be altered as the artist works; therefore, Leonardo decided to paint on the stone wall and then cover it with a sealing layer. The work began to deteriorate a few years after he had finished it. Two early copies of "The Last Supper", thought to be the work of Leonardo's assistant, still exist.

During World War II, on the night of 15 August 1943, an allied aerial bombardment hit the church and the convent. Much of the refectory was destroyed, but some walls survived, including the one holding "The Last Supper", which had been sand-bagged for protection. The preservation works continuously done ever since, and hopefully in the future, are believed to maintain this painting intact for many centuries to come.

Why You Should Visit:
Viewing "The Last Supper" in its own setting will make you feel more appreciative of the single point linear perspective and the 3D effect so cleverly used by Da Vinci.

Tip:
To view "The Last Supper", make sure to book your tickets well in advance on the official website, as they are usually sold out within at least two weeks prior to the sought date.

The National Museum of Science and Technology “Leonardo da Vinci” in Milan, inaugurated on February 15, 1953, stands as one of Europe’s foremost institutions dedicated to scientific and technological culture. Initially founded as “Technics,” it now operates as a private law foundation supported by ministries, public bodies, and Milanese universities.

The museum’s permanent exhibitions reveal the breadth of human invention across centuries. The Leonardo da Vinci Galleries, spanning 1,300 square meters, form the world’s largest display devoted to Da Vinci as both engineer and humanist. Through 170 models, artworks, and manuscripts, visitors trace his life from 15th-century Florence to Milan, exploring his ideas on flight, war, architecture, and waterways. The galleries reinterpret Da Vinci’s genius as a dialogue between art and science, celebrating his enduring curiosity and interdisciplinary thinking.

Other sections highlight Italy’s industrial and creative mastery. The Classic Cars exhibition honors Italian craftsmanship through models like the 1903 Bianchi 8HP and the Alfa Romeo 8C series, presented in a reflective red-lit setting that transforms them into “sculptures in motion.” Each car tells a story of innovation, from early automobile pioneers to experimental postwar designs such as the 1955 Bisiluro DaMolNar.

The museum also explores major transport revolutions. The Air Transport section recounts Lombardy’s pioneering role in aviation-from Enrico Forlanini’s 1877 helicopter to World War II aircraft-while Rail Transport showcases early steam and electric locomotives that connected industrial Italy. The Naval Transport collection, one of Italy’s richest, features over 3,300 artifacts including the submarine Enrico Toti and the training ship Ebe.

Further exhibits bridge science and art. The Music and Theatre section displays part of Teatro alla Scala’s historic hydraulic stage, instruments from the nineteenth century, and early sound devices like Edison phonographs. In turn, the Space exhibition invites visitors to engage with cosmic exploration-from ancient astronomy to modern missions-featuring Italy’s only fragment of lunar rock. Together, these galleries embody the museum’s mission: to preserve the past, inspire curiosity, and connect scientific progress with human imagination.