Castello Sforzesco, Milan

Castello Sforzesco is Milan’s formidable 15th-century fortress, housing Michelangelo’s last sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà, and Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic ceiling frescoes in the Sala delle Asse. The castle’s 70,000-square-meter grounds enclose seven museums, including the Museo d’Arte Antica with 1,500 pieces. Its defensive walls stretch 1.2 kilometers, and the Torre del Filarete stands at 70 meters tall, a symbol of Sforza power that rivals Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome’s Roman origins in political significance.