Milan, Italy

Milan is a city of the Lombardy region in northern Italy. Leonardo da Vinci lived in Milan for around twenty years in order to work for the Sforza family. There, he created his first plans for the largest equestrian statue in the world. He was forced in 1499, though, when Milan was invaded by the French and the Sforza family fled the city. Leonardo would later return to Milan in 1506. 

“History - Leonardo Da Vinci.” BBC, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/da_vinci_leonardo.shtml.

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da Vinci and the Renaissance 2020 Map

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Latitude: 45.464203500000
Longitude: 9.189982000000

Timeline of Events Associated with Milan, Italy

Leonardo Da Vinci Plans the Largest Equestrian Statue

circa. 1482

In 1482, Leonardo Da Vinci was asked to create the largest equestrian statue in the world by Ludovico Sforza who would later be the Duke of Milan (National Geographic). By studying real horses, Leonardo created plans and a clay model around 1493. He planned to be able to cast the horse in only one process by putting molds between two ovens and filling them to cast the entire statue. In 1499, though, Milan was in war with France during the Second Italian War (also known as the Italian War of Louis XIII) and French troops invaded the city (History of War). The bronze that was going to be used for the horse statue was instead used for weapons for Milan; when Milan was eventually defeated by France, French archers destroyed the clay model (Da Vinci Science Center). With the model ruined and his supplies repurposed, Leonardo Da Vinci never tried to construct the horse again.

Collector/Album, Photograph by Print. “Why Leonardo's Last Statue Took 500 Years to Finish.” Leonardo's Horse Took 500 Years to Make, 30 Apr. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/history/magazine/2019/05-06/after-death-da-vi....

Rickard, J. “Second Italian War/ Italian War of Louis XII (1499-1503).” Second Italian War/ Italian War of Louis XII (1499-1503), 22 Aug. 2014, www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_second_italian_war.html.

“The Full Story of Leonardo's Horse.” Da Vinci Science Center, www.davincisciencecenter.org/about/mission-and-history/leonardo-and-the-....

Leonardo Da Vinci Plans the Largest Equestrian Statue

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Date Event Manage
circa. 1482

Leonardo Da Vinci Plans the Largest Equestrian Statue

In 1482, Leonardo Da Vinci was asked to create the largest equestrian statue in the world by Ludovico Sforza who would later be the Duke of Milan (National Geographic). By studying real horses, Leonardo created plans and a clay model around 1493. He planned to be able to cast the horse in only one process by putting molds between two ovens and filling them to cast the entire statue. In 1499, though, Milan was in war with France during the Second Italian War (also known as the Italian War of Louis XIII) and French troops invaded the city (History of War). The bronze that was going to be used for the horse statue was instead used for weapons for Milan; when Milan was eventually defeated by France, French archers destroyed the clay model (Da Vinci Science Center). With the model ruined and his supplies repurposed, Leonardo Da Vinci never tried to construct the horse again.

Collector/Album, Photograph by Print. “Why Leonardo's Last Statue Took 500 Years to Finish.” Leonardo's Horse Took 500 Years to Make, 30 Apr. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/history/magazine/2019/05-06/after-death-da-vi....

Rickard, J. “Second Italian War/ Italian War of Louis XII (1499-1503).” Second Italian War/ Italian War of Louis XII (1499-1503), 22 Aug. 2014, www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_second_italian_war.html.

“The Full Story of Leonardo's Horse.” Da Vinci Science Center, www.davincisciencecenter.org/about/mission-and-history/leonardo-and-the-....