Antique Old Italian Bronze Wall Sculpture by Porta Ravizza & Co Depicting Castello Sforzesco, Milan – Sforza & Visconti Heraldry Framed C1891

Details

Description

Historic Milanese 19th-Century Italian Bronze Plaque – Porta Ravizza & Co. – Castello Sforzesco, Milan – High Relief – Sforza … Read more Historic Milanese 19th-Century Italian Bronze Plaque – Porta Ravizza & Co. – Castello Sforzesco, Milan – High Relief – Sforza & Visconti Heraldry – Tiger Oak Frame
Exceptional 19th-Century Italian Bronze Plaque in Tiger Oak Frame
Porta Ravizza & Co., Milan — Circa 1891
A finely executed late-19th-century Milanese bronze plaque cast by the notable workshop Porta Ravizza & Co., produced in recognition of the major restoration of Castello Sforzesco. Modelled in an impressive 4 cm high relief, the work demonstrates authoritative architectural rendering and a richly articulated Renaissance Revival iconographic programme.
Still housed in its original tiger oak frame, the piece exemplifies Milan’s fin-de-siècle reclamation of its quattrocento artistic identity.
Inscribed Motto (upper field): POST FATA RESURGO — “After death, I rise again”
Dates in relief:
MDCCCLXIII (1863): Transfer of Castello Sforzesco to the Municipality of Milan
MDCCCXCIV (1894): Height of the restoration campaign
Dimensions
Framed: 36.5 cm (W) × 27 cm (H)
Relief depth: 4 cm
Frame: Period tiger oak, warm-toned, structurally sound, newly wired for display
Sforza–Visconti Heraldry
The bronze incorporates the unified ducal arms of Milan established following the Sforza succession:
1st & 4th Quarters — Visconti Biscione
The serpent consuming or delivering a human figure, the longstanding emblem of Milan’s dynastic identity.
2nd & 3rd Quarters — Sforza Beast
A lion–griffin hybrid symbolising military dominion and ducal authority.
This quartered armorial configuration references the union of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti and the consolidation of Milanese power in the 15th century.
Portrait Medallions — Sforza Archetypes
The lower-right field contains medallic portraits rendered in the idiom of quattrocento cast medals:
Francesco I Sforza — Architect of the modern ducal state and principal restorer of civic power
Galeazzo Maria Sforza — Promoter of the Renaissance court culture centred within the castle
Castello Sforzesco — Historical and Artistic Context
For more than six centuries, Castello Sforzesco served as the residence, court, or military command for successive ruling regimes, including:
The Visconti
The Sforza (patrons of Leonardo da Vinci and Bramante)
French Valois monarchs
Spanish Habsburgs
Austrian administrators
Napoleonic authorities
The plaque’s heraldic and architectural schema reflects this continuous lineage of power and stewardship.
Artistic Programme & Foundry Work
Sunburst motif signifying civic renewal
Renaissance Revival trophies, standards, and ornamental elements
Detailed architectural depiction of Castello Sforzesco
Signed “PORTA RAVIZZA & CO.” confirming Milanese foundry origin and period authenticity
Provenance
Milanese Family Collection (by direct descent), associated with civic and artistic circles during the restoration era
Eastern Shire Antiques (United Kingdom), specialising in Continental bronzes and Italian Revival decorative arts
Catalogued and formally assessed by Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd., confirming attribution and context
Exhibited in the Lord Hill Museum Autumn Exhibition, within their focus on Renaissance Revival Italian metalwork See less