Sforza Castle tunnels inspired Da Vinci?

[Imperial Dave]

https://www.wionews.com/trending/leonardo-da-vinci-painting-secret-tunnels-italian-castle-1748314075573

Fascinating

[DBS]

Ah, dear Ludovico the Moor, a man who made Machiavelli seem plain dealing...

[Imperial Dave]

 

[Nick Harbud]

What tosh is this???

I mean, the existence of tunnels under the Sforza Castle in Milano are hardly a secret.  It used to be quite easy to find the exit to one of them in an adjacent park and another one was discovered decades ago by navvies digging the Milano Metro.  These days, one can take tours of them or, at least, all the ones they have discovered.  The Sforza Dukes were justifiably paranoid and had all manner of bolt holes to escape from those who would hang, stab, shoot, poison, disembowel or garotte them.

FWIW, I do not know which former edifice they constructed the Castle upon.  Its site was just outside the city walls at the time of its construction.  The Duomo (Cathedral) Museum is housed in the previous Ducal Palace which had to be partially demolished to make space for the new duomo.  Incidentally, if you ever find yourself in Milano, it is worth visiting both Castle and Duomo, as well as the Duomo Museum and the Milano Archaeological Museum.  (You can even visit the opera afterwards.)