Hidden Tunnels Sketched By Leonardo da Vinci Unearthed After Centuries

Finally uncovered by scientists, a bizarre tunnel network hidden under a medieval castle sketched by Leonardo da Vinci. The discovery followed a number of surveys aimed at digitizing the underground structure of the 15th-century Sforza Castle through ground-penetrating radar and laser scanning.

(Representative Image) Hidden Tunnels Sketched By Leonardo da Vinci Unearthed After Centuries

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The surveys, conducted between 2021-2023, had to rely on his sketch, drawn sometime around 1495, as the only source of information regarding the underground structures, which researchers had postulated about.

"Our findings serve as yet another reminder of how embedded history is in our cities," stated Francesca Biolo, an architectural historian at the Polytechnic University of Milan in an interview with CNN.

"Only by having this awareness in conjunction with a wide understanding of history and architecture can one truly value the importance of preservation and enhancement of our cultural and architectural heritage."

It is famous that Sforza's construction started at around the mid-1300s. About 1495, Da Vinci was hired to paint the interior walls and ceilings of the castle. During that period, he sketched defensive works very similar to the Sforza Castle, including several passageways that were lost in time...until now.

"Leonardo da Vinci possessed an excellent knowledge of military structures and defensive systems in his time," Ms Biolo said.

Da Vinci's Drawing

In Da Vinci's drawing, the main mass of the castle can be identified with several passageways. 

"That said, it is not possible to determine the precise extent of Leonardo's involvement in the fortifications of the Milanese fortress", she explained.

Located at the center of what is now modern Milan, this structure has been extended, altered and demolished over the centuries. Now, only a sixth of the original castle still remains.

Beyond these tunnels beneath Sforza Castle, these researchers also knew of other structures made of brick with a barrel vault or curved ceiling. One of those tunnels continues to the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where is interred the wife of Duke Ludovico Sforza, also known as Ludovico il Moro, who was Duke of Milan from 1494 to 1498. 

As indicated by the researchers, it may be possible to uncover more underground passageways in the future as further study into the history of the castle is undertaken.