Painter, sculptor, inventor, set designer, anatomist, scientist, engineer: all these adjectives are extremely reductive to describe the figure of Leonardo da Vinci, the man who embodied the spirit of the Renaissance in every way… The next 2 May marks the 500th anniversary of his death, which Italy is preparing to celebrate in the best possible way, with an endless list of initiatives that will have as protagonist Lombardy, where Leonardo spent one of the most fruitful periods of his artistic parable.
Leonardo in Milan.
Many of the initiatives that will take place to commemorate the Leonardo’s anniversary will be held in the Lombard capital, because here the great genius spent 18 years of his life, from 1482, year in which he was invited to the court of Ludovico Sforza, until 1500, when this he was imprisoned and deposed. It was under the protection of Ludovico, called “il Moro”, that the artist gave free rein to his creativity and achieved international fame.
In addition to projects and creations that touched every field of human knowledge, the great artist in this period created some of his most famous works, including:
- The Last Supper, the wall painting that made the refectory of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie famous all over the world.
- The Virgin of the Rocks, the great oil painting commissioned by the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, now preserved in the Louvre museum.
- The Treatise on Painting, in which the great genius, through notes and drawings, became part of the debate that in the fifteenth century lit the minds of great artists who claimed their role as intellectuals.
Now let’s see what are the most important appointments of 2019, a year that promises to be entirely dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci.
A busy schedule.
The schedule that will animate the city of Milan on the anniversary of Leonardo’s death will be dotted with exhibitions and events that will last throughout the year:
- The celebrations will start on May 2 at the Castello Sforzesco, where the Sala delle Asse will reopen for the occasion. This is where the famous Leonardo’s “monochrome” paintings and sketches will be exhibited after a long period of restoration. You will be able to admire the restoration work just completed and traces of preparatory drawings showing interesting landscape backgrounds.
- Two exhibitions will also be set up at the Castello Sforzesco: in the Sala delle Armi a multimedia path dedicated to the “Milan of Leonardo” (which will show what the city was like at the time of the artist), in the Sala delle Asse a selection of original drawings, entitled “Leonardo and Sala delle Asse: between nature, art and science”.
- Also at Royal Palace there will be two exhibitions: in the first one, entitled “The Dinner of Leonardo for Francesco I: a masterpiece in silk and silver”, a precious tapestry will be visible, considered one of the very first copies of the Last Supper. In the second, organised in collaboration with the Museum of Natural History, fossils, minerals and stuffed animals will be exposed, comparing them to the scientific studies of Leonardo and his followers.
- The Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana will exhibit the famous Atlantic Codex, a collection of projects and drawings that have made Leonardo famous throughout the world, including the sheets of the “flying machine” project.
- At the National Museum of Science and Technology, in a journey between art and science, in the context of the “Leonardo da Vinci Parade” exhibition, the most representative models of Leonardo’s machines will be exhibited, presented during the opening to the public of the museum in 1953 (commemorating the 500 years of his birth).
These are just some of the initiatives that will animate the city on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Leonardo: for further updates we invite you to consult the website of the Municipality of Milan.
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The celebrations for Leonardo’s anniversary are about to start. If you want to take the opportunity to visit Milan, and treat yourself to a holiday of relaxation and privacy, a few kilometres from the city but away from the chaos that characterises it, do not hesitate to request information: we will be happy to meet all your needs.