Sculpture "Leonardo's Horse"

Leonardo’s Horse is one of Milan’s most popular sculptures. Its history begins in 1482, when the wealthy Duke of Lodovico Sforza commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to sculpt a horse. The design was to be monumental, since the height of the hoisted horse was to reach seven meters.

At the time, it was a colossal design, even for the great Leonardo. In 1493, a life-size clay model was put on the court of an admiring public. All that remained was to fill the statue with bronze, which required about 100 tons. The idea was not implemented, and the horse remained in the castle of the Duke, where soon became a target for shooting training.

The construction of a replica of Leonardo’s horse was started in 1977 at the expense of Charles Dent, an American billionaire. The job took 22 years and more than $2 million. Unfortunately, the patron himself did not live to see the completion of construction. The grand opening of the monument took place in September 1999 at the San Siro Hippodrome in Milan. The height of the horse without a pedestal is about 2.5 meters.