THE DUCAL STABLES
Entering the Castle from the Tower Hall, you reach the immense yard and on your right you can find the Stables.
The Stables consist in three two-floor buildings following each other with their facade decorated with what remains of the 15th century frescos.
The First Stable was built in 1490 by order of Duke Ludovico il Moro for the horses of his "beloved nephew Gian Galeazzo". The proportions of this cross vaulted building are wonderful: it is 92 metres long and 12 metres wide and it's divided into three parts by two rows of columns with fairly decorated basis and capitals. Leonardo da Vinci was probably inspired by it when he designed his model of the perfect stable. In fact Leonardo's "polita stalla" of the Trivulziano Code and of Manuscript B (which you can virtually consult in the Exhibition) comes to the mind.
On the upper floors during the 15th century there were the lodgings of the grooms and the pages. Nowadays there you can find the International Shoes Museum "P. Bertolini" and the temporary Exhibition "Court Splendours"
This stable is followed by the Second Stable where the Exhibition "Leonardo's Workshop" is hosted.
