passing the first of the many churches I will see – San Gioachimo – and the Diamond Tower, Italy’s tallest steel building, which marks the southern corner of Milan’s central business district.

In 1948, after the castle ... crop up in Milan after World War II, as part of Italy’s wider push to update its cities, many locals were resistant to the idea of the modern towers interrupting ...

In 1460, Francesco Sforza, the duke of Milan ... northern Italy and over the next few years, oversaw its reconstruction into a vast, stately home. By the turn of the century, Sforza Castle ...

Even better, you can actually stay as a guest in some of those majestic Italian castles. Italy is not short on ... and guest rooms in the actual tower. All come with WiFi, and some include breakfast.

Italy’s famed Sforza Castle ... may have been used to secretly ferry a Duke of Milan to his late wife’s crypt. The version of Sforza Castle that exists today is actually its second iteration ...