Despite the heat of this Milanese summer, Milan is not going on vacation, in fact it is more alive than ever, and the musical and theatrical festival that until last year was known to everyone as Estate Sforzesca and which in this 2022 edition comes in a new guise and with a new name: Milan is Alive. Summer at the Castle .
The substance, however, does not change. Protagonist location always remains the Castle, or rather the Courtyard of Arms, the very one that opens once you pass through the gates of the Sforza fortress below the Filarete Tower and that again this summer, from July 12 until September 10, 2022, will host live performances and internationally renowned guests: music of all genres, comedy and even dance.
And to immerse ourselves even more in the atmosphere of the Sforza’s ducal Milan, we tell you a curiosity related to one of the protagonists of this important piece of the city’s history: duke Ludovico Sforza, better known as Ludovico il Moro.
The Moor, symbol of Milan Sforzesca and refreshment for the Summer
Perhaps not everyone will know that among the typical plants in the landscape of Lombardy is the mulberry tree, or moro – in dialect moròn, from the Latin Morus – which, like many plants, resumes its vegetative period in spring, as the botanists! A tree with very deep roots and thick foliage, the mulberry is an easy-to-grow plant, very well suited to the silkworm breeding that for centuries formed the foundation ofLombardy’s silk industry, a neuralgic activity for the region’s economy.
Duke Ludovico Sforza knew this well when he decided to commission no less than Leonardo da Vinci to paint the Sala delle Asse in the Sforza Castle of Milan. The painted arbor in the great court room is supported precisely by eighteen mulberry trees, unmistakable for the heart-shaped profile of their leaves and the presence of reddish berries, fruits that ripen with the arrival of summer. In this way Ludovico intended not only to recall the precious silks woven in the Duchy, but to offer guests at the castle a grandiose celebration of himself: the name for mulberry in Lombardy, the recalled morone, in fact echoes the duke’s famous nickname, the Moor, so called by all because of the dark color of his complexion!
The image of the mulberry tree, moreover, encompassed many symbolic meanings since ancient times: a prudent plant par excellence (since it blossoms in late spring, only when the frost of winter is long gone), it was chosen as an emblem of Ludovico’s cautious policy, under whose “leafy” protection the State of Milan would remain safe! “And long live the Moor trïunfante and green!” sang the court poets in praise of Ludovico… and today the shattered dream of the Duchy still reverberates on the leaves of the arboreal pavilion conceived by Leonardo.
When you stroll through the Castle’s courtyards, also pay attention to the beautiful mulberry arbor recently grown in the Courtyard of Arms, below the Tower of Bona: created in 2019 modeled after the Hall of Axes, it will provide a shady refuge on scorching summer days!
Do you want to discover all the secrets of Castello Sforzesco and the hidden beauties in Sempione Park, the hunting reserve of the Sforza family? Discover the Guided Tours of NEIADE Tour & Events:
The Sforzesco Castle in Milan – Court Life
The monuments of Sempione Park, hunting for hidden treasures
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