Export Catalogue Autumn_2023

Scientists and Inventors
8+ 24.5 x 34.5 x 3.5 cm (9.5" x 13.5" x 1.5") 24 x 33.5 cm (9.5" x 13") 14
Machines of
Leonardo da Vinci
The Catapult and the Crossbow
C. Covolan, G. Covolan
Catapult: 17 x 21 x 26 cm (6.5" x 8.5" x 10") 28
Crossbow: 36 x 8 x 39 cm (14" x 3" x 15.5") 43
The models have been recreated down to the smallest
detail and designed according to Leonardo da Vinci’s
original drawings.
Extraordinary Inventions
Many of Leonardo’s inventions were born out of his great ability to observe reality and to imagine
solutions to everyday practical problems. Some of Leonardo’s works of genius came to light
because of particular events during his life.
Great Floods
The Arno River flows through Florence, which
at one time when it was full brought floods and
destruction. So Leonardo began to imagine works
Revolving Bridge
and machines to protect people from floods. He
designed special boats to dredge the riverbed,
methods to make the banks sturdier, machines to
dig canals and even revolving bridges!
Leonardo and the War Machines
Notwithstanding Leonardo’s very many inventions, the rulers at that time contended
for his genius, especially for his ability to invent powerful war machines and effective
defence systems. During the Renaissance, in fact, many kingdoms were involved in
conflicts and had recently been introduced to firearms. It was very important, therefore,
to have machines that could cope with these new, deadly instruments!
Many Wars on the Horizon
In Leonardo’s time, Italy was divided into many different ‘States’, called duchies, seigniories and principalities, depending
on who ruled them. Each of these powerful rulers wanted to expand their territory and become ever more important. In
short, war was the order of the day! In this context, Leonardo’s intelligence was in high demand to build new and up-todate
war machines.
Mechanical Music
and Drummers
In Leonardo’s time there were many wars. In the
battlefields were ‘drummers’, boys equipped with a drum
who beat the instrument to the rhythm of the battle.
Unarmed and unprotected, these boys were often among
the first victims!
To avoid this unnecessary massacre, Leonardo devised
an automatic drum that advanced on wheels connected
to a roller on which the music was recorded, so the
drummer moving it could protect himself! Leonardo was
able to reuse this machine even in peacetime, removing
the wheel and replacing it with a crank. So during court
festivities the sound of automated music could be
heard... like that of a turntable!
Construction Crane
Dangerous Work Sites
Pile Driver
When Leonardo arrived at Verrocchio’s workshop in
Florence, architects and artists were holding their
breath in suspense because of an unbelievable
undertaking: the construction of Brunelleschi’s dome,
which you can still see in the city today! The workshop
was right next to the building site: what luck for
Leonardo to be able to observe up close the work and
machines for building the dome!
Although, working on the work site was tiring and
dangerous: many accidents occurred and often to
workers who were little more than children. Leonardo
studied the machines used on the site and began to
design them to be safer, alleviating the manual work.
Thanks to his innovations, many lives could be saved.
War, ‘Most Bestial Madness’
Despite his ability to create war machines, Leonardo detested
war, calling it the ‘most bestial madness’. His interest in arms was
therefore not military but rather pure technological curiosity! It
is no coincidence that Leonardo decided not to divulge or adopt
many of his military innovations.
An Innovation Too Powerful
One of his inventions was the ‘rapid-fire crossbow’. Loading the
crossbow, a major weapon in these times, was burdensome and
time-consuming. Leonardo invented an ‘automatic load’, which
allowed the crossbow to launch arrows in repetition. Leonardo
knew the crossbow would become a powerful weapon and chose
not to make known this dangerous invention.
The Submersible
On a codex sheet dedicated to military action against an enemy fleet, there is
a design for an underwater suit. Leonardo devised it as a kind of incursion to
sabotage the hulls of ships and sink them.
He also designed the first submersible that, hidden beneath the hull of a small
ship, could approach the enemy fleet undisturbed. Leonardo himself was
horrified by the destructive potential of this machine and decided not to make
this invention known to the public.
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Books and 3D Models 123