Museo di Leonardo da Vinci: Halls and Secrets

He was an architect, engineer, inventor, painter and sculptor. His scientific inventions and artistic contributions have had significant impact on the way the world functions and the way its inhabitants think, even centuries after his birth. Florence is thus the logical home to a museum dedicated to the genius and mystery of Leonardo da Vinci. Comprised of several halls each dedicated to his areas of expertise, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum achieves something that would make the master proud: you learn a little, and you want to explore a lot.
The sketchings of many of Leonardo’s engineering ideas, including some of his machine designs built to the scale that he imagined, are discovered in the Main Room of the museum. Dozens of imposing structures that existed only on paper when he was alive can be explored up close. It is fascinating to think that they had their roots in the mind of a man who lived many generations ago, who never saw them brought to life.

The Painting Room in the museum reminds us that Leonardo was the original Renaissance Man; he did it all! Many people do not realize that the man who drew up plans for a “flying machine” centuries before the first airplane took flight is the same man who painted The Last Supper. While you will have to visit Milan to see the original Last Supper and Paris to witness the intrigue of famous Mona Lisa’s smile, the museum in Florence contains reproductions of these works in a transfixing hall of mirrors.

The museum’s Painting Room teaches how Leonardo’s human renditions reflected feeling, thinking flesh-and-blood humans, but the Anatomy Room explains something about how he used his vast knowledge about the human body to create what were then new techniques in painting and sculpture. His investigation of how the skeletal and circulatory systems of the human body worked together shed some light on how he could invoke emotional responses to his paintings and sculptures. Simply put, we see ourselves in them.

The Leonardo da Vinci Museum is appropriate for all ages, but young people especially will appreciate it when an actor brings the master to life. When Leonardo visits his own museum, guests come to understand how his innate curiosity led to the discoveries he made, and how his inventions continue to be applied in the modern world. The colorful character relates his struggles and stories, interacting with his audience across the ages.

To reach the widest audience possible, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum features exhibit explanations in six languages. It is an ideal place to bring guests from abroad when you are planning a long term Florence stay. Multimedia displays ensure that language is not a barrier, since visitors will use their senses and imagination to explore the space, the way Leonardo did. Reduced rates are available for children, students and groups.