Tucked among the elegant buildings of Corso Venezia, at number 10, lies one of Milan’s most enchanting historic homes: Casa Fontana Silvestri. Considered one of the city’s oldest residences, it is also one of the rare surviving examples of Sforza-era architecture. Yet, looking at its simple, almost austere façade today, it’s hard to imagine the centuries of stories hidden within. It tells stories of guardians and noble families to artists and even literary legends.
Ca’ del Guardian: the early life of Casa Fontana Silvestri
Locals affectionately call the residence “Ca’ del Guardian”, referring to Angelo Fontana, the 15th-century guardian of the nearby Porta Orientale, who once lived here. Tradition even claims that Renzo Tramaglino, the hero of The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi), entered Milan through that very gate.
Over the centuries, Casa Fontana Silvestri stopped housing guardians but welcomed many notable figures. From Francesco Fontana, a senator in service to the Sforza, to prominent Milanese families like the Pirovano, Stampa, and Castiglioni, and finally Senator Silvestri, whose name the house still carries today.
The lost garden of Casa Fontana Silvestri
The origins of Casa Fontana Silvestri date back to the 12th century, which explains its unique blend of Gothic and Renaissance elements. In the 15th century, the building was expanded and renovated into the form we admire today. The Fontana family crest, carved into the courtyard capitals, recalls this period of transformation.
Casa Fontana Silvestri’s C-shaped layout, embracing the porticoed courtyard, is the oldest part still intact. The large garden that once overlooked a nearby canal has been lost, yet historical drawings and the pointed Gothic windows uncovered during restorations hint at its former beauty. It is believed that Bramante, or someone from his circle, added the two side wings, transforming the home into a C-shaped structure surrounding the garden on three sides.
During World War II, the house suffered significant damage from bombing. Some rooms were destroyed, but the restoration led by Ferdinando Reggiori uncovered openings and details dating back to the Gothic period.
Facade and interiors
Today, the façade of Casa Fontana Silvestri appears modest, but it once boasted a vivid display of colors and figures. Tradition attributes the frescoes to Bramante or Bramantino, depicting mythological and festive scenes. Only a few traces remain today, such as a frieze beneath the cornice featuring cherubs, sirens, tritons, and fantastical animals.
The entrance portal still impresses. Its stone Angera semi-columns, decorated with floral motifs, seem to invite visitors in, leading not directly into the courtyard, but slightly to the side.
Much of the interior has been lost or altered, yet walking through the remaining rooms, one can still sense echoes of past life. Some fresco fragments, now preserved in the Sforza Castle, originally came from this house.
Visiting Casa Fontana Silvestri
Casa Fontana Silvestri is currently privately owned and not generally open to the public, except on rare occasions such as Milan Design Week, when the courtyard is temporarily accessible. Even if you can only admire it from the outside, it is worth pausing to study the remaining details, imagine the lost frescoes, and think about the generations of people who once lived here.
Credits
Photos by Leonardo.bassanini, G.dallorto, Marc’Antonio Dal Re,
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