Mysterious tunnels sketched by Leonardo da Vinci have been rediscovered after 500 years.
A series of underground passages were found under Sforza Castle, a medieval fortress built in the 15th century by the Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza.
Experts at Polytechnic University of Milan used ground penetrating radars and laser scanners to map structures beneath the castle, which was one of Europe‘s largest but now houses art collections and museums.
Da Vinci was one of the artists charged with decorating the castle when Ludovico Sforza became Duke of Milan in 1494.
This included work on the vaulted ceiling of the Sala delle Asse of plants loaded with fruit painted by the Italian polymath who is famed not just as a painter but an engineer, scientist, sculptor and architect.
The university’s experts, who teamed up with the castle authorities and received technical help from Codevintec’s precision instruments, said some of the tunnels will have served a military purpose.
Ludovico Sforza, who ruled as Duke of Milan from 1494 to 1499, built one subterranean connection to reach the tomb of his wife, Beatrice d’Este, buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Celebrated as a patron and symbol of Milanese resistance against the French during the first of the Italian Wars, Beatrice d’Este was Duchess of Milan. She died aged 21 in 1497.
She was buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie in a ceremony which legend has it saw Ludovico remarry her dead body as if still alive.
The church and Dominican convent is where Da Vinci painted his masterpiece, The Last Supper, and about 900 metres from Sforza Castle.
A spokesperson for the university said the passage, which has been immortalised in Da Vinci’s drawings, has long been the subject of legends.
They added: “Now, thanks to technology, it seems that its existence can be confirmed. But there are numerous secret walkways.”
Da Vinci made a number of sketches of fortifications while working on the building. These were believed to closely resemble Sforza Castle’s defences, but also included tunnels which have only now been found.
The university’s study shows Da Vinci may well have been sketching features hidden beneath the castle floor.
Francesca Biolo, a researcher at Polytechnic University of Milan, told MailOnline Sforza Castle today is much smaller than it once was, meaning other remains may be hidden beneath the city’s streets.
Franco Guzzetti, a professor of Geomatics at the university, said the aim now is to create a “digital twin” of Sforza Castle which will allow visitors to explore its past and help them picture “historical elements” that aren’t visible anymore.
