Secret tunnels seen only in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting have been discovered under an ancient Italian castle

Legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci painted secret tunnels in one of his artworks of an Italian castle, which experts suspected hinted that they existed in reality as well. However, no one had ever found them. But new research has now confirmed that the numerous tunnels Vinci drew are not only real, but a part of a complex system built under a castle from the 1400s.

Experts from the Polytechnic University of Milan, Codevintec, and Sforza Castel teamed up to discover that the ancient Sforza Castle is hiding tunnels under it. Vinci was once hired to design the castle and so knew about the tunnels, but contemporary humans have never seen them.

Leonardo da Vinci’s painting had tunnels, but were they real?

Vinci’s artworks have drawn from real life and so researchers knew that the tunnels in his paintings weren’t merely a piece of fiction. The researchers deployed ground-penetrating radar and laser scanning peep multiple feet underground. They discovered a tunnel system that included several of them and seemed to serve several purposes.

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Francesca Biolo, researcher at Polytechnic University of Milan, said in a statement, “The ground-penetrating radar enriched the 3D model with data on known, but inaccessible, spaces, bringing to light unknown walkways and ideas for further studies on secret passages.”

Sforza Castle in Milan

The tunnel system under Sforza Castle is believed to have been built sometime in the late 1400s. First, the duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza, took over an existing site and built the Sforza Castle. The grand structure had huge towers, vast courtyards, and frescoed-lined halls. Then, in 1494, Ludovico Sforza, who took over the reins, decided to add more aspects to the castle. Leonardo da Vinci was hired as the artist for the castle.

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This led him to document the underground tunnels, according to Art Net. Researchers believe the tunnel system served various purposes, primary being military goals.

However, they also noted that the tunnels linked the castle with the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The church was built by Francesco and was where the Sforza family buried its members. The royals used the one passageway to access the church quickly while visiting the burial sites of their loved ones.

Notably, Vinci’s The Last Supper can also be found in the same church, adding more intrigue to the discovery.

A virtual tour of the tunnels

Scientists now want to replicate the Sforza Castle as it existed in ancient times, complete with hidden portions which aren’t visible or accessible today. The castle today has three museums, and the researchers want to use virtual reality to add a dimension to the visitor experience, letting them explore what they can’t see, at least for now.