How the Italians rebuilt the Kremlin in the 15th century

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Sforza Castle is somewhere similar to the Moscow Kremlin. More precisely, the Kremlin is locked. The rebuilding of the Moscow Kremlin at the end of the 15th century was led by Italian architects, at least who had seen the castle built not long before in Milan, and, perhaps, someone took part in the construction. It is possible that even some drawings were used.

Myths and facts

The first attempt to build a castle in Milan, exactly on this site, was made in 1358. Galeazzo II Visconti, ruler of Milan. Not even an attempt - in 1370 the construction of the castle was completed. And a little later, his son, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, expanded the castle even more.

But. In 1447, Filippo Maria, the last Duke of Milan from the Visconti family, died. The inhabitants of Milan were terribly happy about this event, they founded the Golden Ambrosian Republic in the city and the surrounding area, and the castle of the hated Visconti was demolished and dismantled by pebbles so that it was discouraging. The republic collapsed three years later, from hunger. So it happens with the republics. A new duke appeared, Francesco Sforza, son-in-law of the deceased in the world (or not in the world) Filippo Maria. Sforza was a good ruler, the people respected him.

So Francesco Sforza began to build the castle on a new one, in the same place. It is the castle that can be seen at the present time.

That is why the castle is called "Castello Sforzesco" - understandably.

Construction began in 1452, led by the famous architect Antonio di Pietro Averulino, nicknamed Filarete. Why the main tower of the castle is called “Filarete Tower” is also understandable.

Yes, the new duke, since his rights to the duchy were based on kinship with the House of Visconti, added their coat of arms to his. And in general, despite the fact that the castle is "Sforzesco", here and there on its walls and towers you can see the coat of arms of the Visconti. Such a funny one - a huge snake that eats a person alive.

By the way, if you see where the Alfa Romeo car is, take a good look at the emblem.

Francesco Sforza, the good duke, died in 1466.

His sons, it seems, went not to their father, but to their mother, Visconti. Insane atrocities, intrigues, conspiracies, murders - everything is as it should be. But, in the meantime, the Sforza were still engaged in the development of the Lombard industry, art was also not an empty phrase for them.

Leonardo da Vinci served as an engineer for the Dukes of Milan from 1482 to 1499, painting, too, of course, did not neglect.

In 1499, the army of King Louis XII of France invaded Lombardy. Actually, this Louis' grandmother was called Valentina Visconti.

The French occupied Milan without much opposition from either the Sforza or the Milanese.

But the then duke, Lodovico Sforza, with the help of Emperor Maximilian I, recruited Swiss troops, which managed to recapture Milan from the invaders. But that did not end there. In the same 1500, in the battle of Novara, the French defeated the Swiss, and the duke was captured and imprisoned in the castle of Loches, where he sat until 1508, until he died. …

In 1512, on the contrary, the Swiss defeated the French. Swiss captains began to rule Lombardy, but in order to give their power some legitimacy, they proclaimed Massimiliano Sforza, the son of Lodovico, who died in captivity, Duke of Milan. This Massimiliano purely represented himself as a duke and received a salary for this, and had no influence on affairs.

But in 1515 the new king of France, Francis I, defeated the Swiss. Here Massimiliano Sforza was lucky. He, of course, could not, and did not even think of Milan to seriously defend, but Francis, who had more important things to do than be distracted even by a purely formal siege, offered him thirty thousand ducats for refusing the ducal title.

In 1525, Francis I suffered a crushing defeat at Pavia, even being taken prisoner himself. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, restored the Duchy of Milan and appointed Maria Sforza Duke of Francesco. The next, 1526, Francesco Maria managed to successfully organize the defense of Milan, which was again besieged by the French.

In 1535 Francesco II Maria Sforza died without leaving any heirs. The Duchy of Milan was abolished and the territory annexed to the Crown of Aragon. The king of Aragon at that time was Emperor Charles V.

A Spanish garrison is located in the Sforza castle. And he remained there until 1713. During this time, the Roman Holy Empire and Spain became enemies, so the Germans took Milan from the Spaniards, along with all of Lombardy.

But the castle, while it was Spanish, was modernized in accordance with the then concepts, the work was done very large.

In 1796, the Austrian garrison held a defense at the Sforza castle against Napoleon himself for a month and a half.

Thus ended the military history of the Sforza Castle.

The inhabitants of Milan twice turned to Napoleon, at that time not yet the emperor, but a revolutionary general, with a proposal to destroy this symbol of tyranny to zero. Bonaparte even went to meet the Milanese, to some extent, in 1800 the curtains and ravelins erected around the castle in the 1500-1600s were destroyed. But fortunately, the matter did not reach the castle itself.

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