WHEN Leonardo da Vinci WAS BORN iN TUSCANY IN 1452, THE ILLEGITIMATE SON OF A NOTARY AND A PEASANT WOMAN, NOTHING PRESAGED THE EXTRAORDINARY DESTINY THAT AWAITED HIM. YET FROM HIS EARLIEST CHILDHOOD, HE SAW HIMSELF AS "DIFFERENT", AND THIS INNER CONVICTION MOTIVATED HIS NEVER-ENDING QUEST FOR FREEDOM AND INNOVATION. HE WAS A STAUNCH CHAMPION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF "PRACTICAL INTELLIGENCE": "As SOON AS THE DAY BREAKS, THE AIR IS FULL OF COUNTLESS IMAGES FOR WHICH THE EYE IS A MAGNET."

LEONARDO"S DETAILED SKETCHES AND CALCULATIONS OF HIS "WONDERFUL MACHINES" ENABLED HIM TO VISUALIZE THEM IN OPERATION.FORTY OF THEM HAVE NOW BEEN MANUFACTURED ON THE BASIS OF HIS DRAWINGS AND CAN BE SEEN AT CLos-LucE (AMBOISE, FRANCE), THE RESIDENCE WHERE HE SPENT HIS LAST YEARS. ALL THE MANY ASPECTS OF LEONARDO"S GENIUS ARE PRESENTED HERE.WE SEE HIM AS PAINTER, ENGINEER, INVENTOR, MATHEMATICIAN AND ARCHITECT. HE WAS A RENAISSANCE MAN IN THE FULLEST SENSE OF THE WORD YET AMAZINGLY CLOSE TO THE MODERN SPIRIT.

Preface : The Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie

1.A childhood in nature

2.The Saltarelli Affair

3.From war machines to anatomy

4.An imaginary Orient

5.The Anghiari fiasco

6.1 shall continue

7.The abduction of Mona Lisa

Conclusion : 1, Leonardo

Leonardo da Vinci: Selected Notes on Painting

Bibliography

Biography