• Leonardo da Vinci in Milan

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian universal genius. He lived from 1452 to 1519, during the Renaissance. Thanks to this epoch, during which there was great freedom for thinkers and artists, Leonardo was able to fully develop his skills as a scientist, mathematician and painter. The legacy of Leonardo da Vincis is stored in the Codex Atlanticus, a collection of 1700 original writings and drawings by Leonardo on mechanics, mathematics, astronomy, botany, geography, physics, chemistry and architecture. The most important work is the Last Supper. It’s the most copied painting in the world.

Guide to Leonardo da Vinci in Milan

Two works of art have made Leonardo da Vinci world famous: The effigy of Mona Lisa (Paris) and the Last Supper (Milan). Another iconic image is the Vitruvian human being. It is the result of his studies on the proportions of the human body. Leonardo is still one of the greatest universal geniuses to this day. He was an artist and scientist.

2019 marks the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death. . Milan celebrates the year with numerous events.

Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, to an illegitimate son of a handmaid and a notary in Tuscany, near Vinci. He was given the place of origin as his surname, as was customary at the time. Leonardo was fortunate that his father recognized his artistic talent early and had his son trained in an artist’s workshop in Florence.

In 1482, Leonardo applied to the Milan court and was hired by Duke Ludovico il Moro. He made himself useful in many areas, including the canal system (Navigli) and the cleanliness of the city, in order to prevent the spread of diseases. One of his passionate areas was man. The image of the Vitruvian Man, with whom he studied proportions, became famous. At night, he secretly studied the inner structure of man by dissecting corpses.

During his time in Milan, he painted, among other things, the Madonna in the rock grotto and the lady with Hermelin, the portrait of a lover of the Duke. For his most famous work, the Last Supper, he took 4 years (1494-1498). The mural is located in the monks ‘ dining room in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Leonardo spent the years in Milan from 1482 to 1499, then returned to Florence and back to Milan in 1504, where he remained until 1512 before the Pope summoned him to Rome. In the years 1503 – 1506 Leonardo painted on the effigy of the Mona Lisa. This work was to accompany him for the rest of his life, carrying it with him until his death in France on May 2, 1519, in Ambois.

2019 marks the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death. . He was born on 15 April 1452 in Tuscany (Anchiano) and died in France (Amboise) on 2 May 1519.

Milan commits the 500th. Year of death of Leonardo with numerous events.

Leonardo da Vinci left a work with the Last Supper that still gives up a lot of mystery today and thus remains wonderful and full of questions. This has stimulated the imagination of writers, almost elevating the Last Supper to cult status. You must have seen it. Aand also the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris. And everyone wants to see it.

Meanwhile, the entrance to this masterpiece is strictly regulated and several security locks have to be passed. The streams of visitors are clocked in such a way that those who have made it can study the work in peace and without crowds. The best way to do this is with a licensed tourist guide who explains everything to you and answers your questions.

But, as already indicated, no admission without reservation! You won’t get any more tickets on site. This needs to be planned long ahead.

We are happy to arrange a private guided tour for you or your group in your language with guaranteed tickets without being due. It is not possible in the short term.

The collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s writings and drawings is in the Ambrosiana Library. It encompasses Leonardo da Vinci’s intellectual legacy in the 40-year period from 1478 to 1519.

We recommend a guided tour with a visit to the Last Supper and the Codex Atlanticus. This gives you a good insight into Leonardo’s work in Milan.

The Sala delle Aces contains a ceiling fresco painted by Leonardo around 1498 with deciduous trees with branches, all of which are connected to each other. Sala delle Aces was the bedroom of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro. It is located in the Castello Sforzesco on the ground floor of Torre Falconiera. After the complete restoration, the “Sala delle Asse” can be visited again from September 2019.

Leonardo had been given a small vineyard as a thank you for his work by Duke Ludovico il Moro. After 500 years, it was still possible to extract genetic material from the vines and to grow from them the variety that Leonardo da Vinci had grown. Opposite the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is the house, behind which a new vineyard with the old grape variety was added.

Leonardo da Vinci had set himself the goal of creating the world’s largest equestrian statue as a memento of Prince Francesco Forza, who died in 1466.

But not simply a standing horse, Leonardo wanted the ideal horse to rise to attack the opponent. This was a major static challenge for which there were no role models. The static implementation in bronze seemed hopeless.

Therefore, the horse was realized in the light trot, so that the sculpture is in balance. The 7-metre-high bronze statue is located at the entrance of the Hippodrome in San Siro.

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