From February 7 to March 14, 2026, the Sala delle Asse at Milan’s Castello Sforzesco will temporarily open to the public for a series of guided visits during the restoration of Leonardo da Vinci’s wall and ceiling paintings. Visitors will be allowed to step onto the scaffolding and view the works, normally closed to the public, as part of the Cultural Olympiad associated with the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
The Sala delle Asse was painted around 1498 for Ludovico Sforza, a noble Milanese ruler, and decorated with an elaborate illusionistic canopy of intertwining tree trunks, branches, roots and rocky motifs that transform the walls and vaulted ceiling into a painted pergola. This is a rare opportunity to visit the room, as it is normally closed to visitors due to the fragility of its painted surfaces and the complexity of the ongoing conservation work.
The guided visits to the Sala delle Asse will be offered for only five weeks, before the restoration site closes again for its final phase. After a brief introduction to Leonardo da Vinci’s work at Castello Sforzesco court, visitors are escorted into the restoration area wearing safety helmets. Groups are limited to a maximum of eight people, who can remain on the platforms for approximately 30 minutes. From here, they can view the vault, lunettes and surviving monochrome drawings from just inches away. The tours guide visitors through Leonardo’s techniques, the practices of his workshop, the conservation challenges and the operational phases of the ongoing restoration.
Access to the Sala delle Asse during restoration requires a specific ticket and advance booking. The guided visit is offered in both English and Italian, from February 7 to March 14, 2026, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., tickets cost 25 € (20 € for the guided tour and 5 € for admission). Reservations are mandatory and tickets can be purchased online through the official booking platform.
With a confirmed reservation, visitors are required to meet 15 minutes before the start of the visit at the main entrance of the Castello Sforzesco, at the Infopoint (information desk) located beneath the Torre del Filarete.
The initiative is part of the Cultural Olympiad, the official cultural program accompanying the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which includes exhibitions, theater performances and events across all key Olympic locations.
Alongside the exceptional opening of the Sala delle Asse, the Castello Sforzesco offers two additional Leonardo-related experiences. In the Panoramic Rooms, starting on February 7, a new multimedia installation traces the history of the Sala delle Asse and Leonardo’s role at the Sforza ducal court. In the Pinacoteca, Room XXI has recently reopened in a newly redesigned layout dedicated to the “Leonardeschi,” artists trained in Leonardo’s workshop or influenced by his work. The castle’s museums and its two permanent Leonardo installations are accessible with the standard museum admission ticket and can be visited from Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
These exhibitions offer a rare chance to see some of Leonardo da Vinci’s least accessible works at close range. Timed to coincide with the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the initiative is also of interest to anyone visiting Milan during this period.