Almost everyone will be familiar with the name Leonardo Da Vinci. Even if you have no interest in art. His most recognisable work, the Mona Lisa, is hanging in the Louvre in Paris. However, there was another side to the great artist which many people may not be familiar with.
Leonardo grew up in the small country town of Vinci located a short 40km from Florence. While many people know him as an artist, not many know about his entrepreneurial side. He was indeed a man of many talents; expanding his repertoire to inventions, astronomy and politics.
If you love Leo and his work, Vinci is a must to add to your itinerary while you are in Italy. There are two museums dedicated to Leonardo which showcase not only his inventions, but how his mind could create some unique inventions.
The Museo Leonardiano contains more than 60 inventions by Leonardo showcasing him as a technologist and engineer. As you walk through the museum browsing his sketches, you will be surprised at how intricately detailed his mind worked. He invented bicycles, flying machines, underwater diving gear and other machines. Many of those inventions have been modernised over time to what we see today.
While the museum is a fascinating look into the detailed mind of Leonardo; don’t forget to take a moment to stop on the balcony. From there you have a panoramic view of the whole valley. It is easy to see where Leo’s inspiration for his paintings came from with such beautiful landscape surrounding the small town.
But while you are in Vinci, make time to stop at the house in Anchiano just 3 km outside of Vinci where he was born on 15 April 1452. A hologram of Leonardo welcomes you into his house where you learn the story of his life.
