Cavallo di Leonardo

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Commissioned by Ludovico 'il Moro' Sforza in 1482 in honour of his father Francesco, this enormous bronze horse took over 500 years to complete. Leonardo da Vinci made drawings and a colossal clay model, and sketched out a new method for casting bronze on such a large scale. But Charles VIII's 1494 attempt to invade the city meant that the 70 tonnes of bronze went from potential art to working weapons in a blink of the eye. In 1999, American Charles Dent supplied the funds necessary to make the vision a reality, and da Vinci's 7.2m (23.6ft) horse is now the largest equestrian statue in the world.

The 'Gran Cavallo' stands on the grounds of Milan's Hippodrome. Although there are large photos that show the making of the sculpture, there is nothing in the way of additional information.