From 30 October 2018 to 20 January 2019 the Uffizi hosts the exhibition Water as Microscope of Nature. Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester, curated by Paolo Galluzzi.
The exhibition focuses on water, an element that intrigues Leonardo. He acutely investigated on its elementary structure, in order to exploit its energy and control its often disastrous effects. The Codex Leicester—compiled to a large extent in Florence between 1504 and 1508—contains pioneering studies on the water and other issues, in particular on the structure of the Moon and its ashen light, and on the history of the Earth.
On display also the Codex on the Flight of Birds and many other masterly drawings that Leonardo made in those same years, as well as wonderful manuscripts and incunabola containing texts that he used to compile the Codex Leicester.
A number of videos allow visitors to follow Leonardo’s complex reasoning on the physics of the elements and to be privileged spectators of the experiments that he conceived to verify his hypotheses on phenomena outside the scope of the human senses—such as the secondary luminescence of the Moon or the transformations that occur in the depths of our planet. Last but not least, the Codescope, an innovative multimedia tool, makes it possible to browse through all the pages of the Codex Leicester, read the transcription of texts and get information on most significant issues.
The exhibition is a project by the Uffizi Galleries and Museo Galileo made possible by the contribution of Fondazione CR Firenze. It is supported by the patronage and financial aid of the Comitato Nazionale per le celebrazioni dei 500 anni dalla morte di Leonardo da Vinci.
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