News from Italy
The mysterious tunnels designed by Leonardo da Vinci discovered
Another secret in Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, written in codes and full of mysterious drawings, has been revealed. Mysterious tunnels designed by Da Vinci were discovered under the Sforzesco Castle in Milan around 1495.
Scientist, inventor, and artist. But also mathematicians, designers, engineers and much more. Leonardo da Vinci was one of humanity’s greatest geniuses. His life, discoveries and works influence our days even after 500 years. Leonardo da Vinci’s works of art are numerous and rich in history. The Last Supper. The Vitruvian Man. The Mona Lisa… But even in such a rich and well-studied corpus of masterpieces, there may still be some surprises to discover. Recently, a group of researchers discovered one: the drawing of a castle tunnel from the 1400s. The project refers to the Sforzesco Castle and represents numerous underground tunnels that have never been found.
The group, which included experts from the Polytechnic University of Milan, Codevintec, and Castello Sforzesco, used a ground-penetrating radar system and laser scanning to map several meters beneath the castle. In this way, they discovered that the tunnels that Vinci alluded to in his drawings existed and that they could only be a small piece of an intricate system that winds throughout the site.
The castle took on new life in 1400 when the Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza, rebuilt an ancient site. He transformed it into the Sforzesco Castle, complete with towers, courtyards and frescoed rooms. In 1494, his successor, Ludovico Sforza, continued construction of the manor and hired da Vinci to create works of art for the castle.
Experts believe that the tunnels were used in the past for military operations. Still, other parts of the system may also have included particular details. One passage, for example, connects the castle to the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a church built by Francesco Sforza that houses Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” It is also the location of the noble family’s burials, which may have allowed those living in the castle quicker access to the tombs of loved ones, such as Ludovico’s wife, Beatrice d’Este.
Today, the castle complex hosts the Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco, the Museo della Pietà Rondanini, and the Museum of Ancient Art.
