Painter, sculptor, architect, anatomist, naturalist, inventor, engineer, writer, thinker, musician, poet. If you list only these areas of application of talent, without naming the name of who they are, anyone will say: Leonardo da Vinci.
The learned prophet
Da Vinci was a famous figure of his time, but the real glory came many centuries after his death. Only at the end of the XIX century were first published theoretical notes of the scientist. They contained descriptions of strange and mysterious devices for their time. In the Renaissance, Da Vinci could hardly count on the speedy implementation of all his inventions. The main obstacle to their implementation was the insufficient technical level. But in the XX century almost all the devices described in his works became a reality. This suggests that the "Italian Faust" was not only a talented inventor, but also a man who could anticipate technological progress. Of course, this contributed to the deep knowledge of Leonardo.
His research systematized, creating the so-called "codes" - books that contain notes on certain aspects of science and technology. There is, for example, the Leicester Code, in which it is possible to find descriptions of various natural phenomena, as well as mathematical calculations. It is noteworthy that the records of Da Vinci are made by the so-called "mirror" font. All letters are written from right to left and are expanded vertically. You can only read them using a mirror. Until now, arguments have not ceased about why the scientist needed to record this way. It is rumored that this was how he intended to classify his works.
Leonardo da Vinci was illegitimate (illegitimate) son of the Tuscan notary Piero da Vinci. His mother was a simple peasant woman. Subsequently, Father Leonardo married a girl from a noble family. As this marriage turned out to be childless, he soon took his son to his house.
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Helicopter and hang-glider
No technical invention causes such awe and admiration as a flying machine. That's why Da Vinci's flying machines have always been focused on all the time. The inventor always dreamed of the idea of aeronautics. The source of inspiration for the scientist were birds. Leonardo tried to create a wing for an aircraft in the image and likeness of winged wings. One of the devices developed by him was set in motion with the help of moving wings, which were raised and lowered due to the rotation of the pedal by the pilot. The pilot himself was located horizontally (lying). Another variant of the flying machine was supposed to involve not only the feet, but also the hands of the balloonist. Practical success experiments with the "bird's" wing did not have, and soon the inventor switched to the idea of a planning flight. So there was a prototype of a hang glider. By the way, in 2002, British testers proved the correctness of the concept of a hang glider da Vinci. Using the device, built according to the drawings of the master, the world champion in hang-gliding Judy Liden was able to climb to a height of ten meters and stayed in the air for seventeen seconds.
No less interesting is the developed Da Vinci aircraft with a rotor. Nowadays many people consider this machine to be a prototype of a modern helicopter. Although the apparatus is more like not a helicopter, but a gyroplane. The screw made of thin flax should have been propelled by four people. The helicopter became one of the first flying machines offered by Da Vinci. Perhaps, that is why he had a number of serious shortcomings that would never allow him to fly. For example, the strength of four people was clearly not enough to create the thrust required for take-off.
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But the parachute was one of the simplest workings out of a genius. But this does not detract from the significance of the invention. According to the idea of Leonardo, the parachute was to have a pyramidal shape, and its design was supposed to be covered with a cloth. In our time, the testers have proved that the concept of Da Vinci's parachute can be considered correct. In 2008, the Swiss Olivier Tepp successfully completed the landing, using a tent pyramidal shape. True, the parachute had to be made from modern materials for this purpose.
Leonardo da Vinci was a truly versatile person. The inventor played beautifully on the lyre and in the records of the Milan court figured exactly as a musician. Da Vinci was also interested in cooking. For thirteen years on his shoulders lay the organization of court feasts. Especially for culinary specialists, he developed several useful adaptations.
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Car
When you become acquainted with the works of Da Vinci, you begin to understand why a small Italy became the birthplace of legendary automobile brands. As far back as the 15th century, the Italian inventor was able to sketch a "self-propelled wagon", which became the prototype of modern cars. The trolley developed by Leonardo did not have a driver and was driven by a spring mechanism. Although the latter - just a guess of modern scientists. It is for sure not known exactly how the master intended to move his invention forward. We do not know how the first car should look like. Leonardo focused not on the appearance of the design, but on technical characteristics. The cart was three wheeled, like a child's bicycle. The rear wheels rotated independently of each other.
In 2004, Italian researchers managed not only to build a car designed by Da Vinci, but also to make him move! Scientist Carlo Pedretti was able to unravel the main secret of the Leonardo da Vinci cart, namely the principle of motion. The researcher suggested that the car should be driven not by springs, but by special springs, which were located in the lower part of the structure.
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Tank
Bestialissima pazzia (in translation from Italian "animal madness") - it was precisely such an unflattering epithet "Titan of the Renaissance" that awarded the war. In his notes, da Vinci mentioned that he hates war and murder machines. Paradoxically, this did not stop him from developing new military equipment. Do not forget that Leonardo did not live in peace time. The Italian cities were in difficult relations with each other, besides there was a threat of French intervention. By the end of the XV century, Da Vinci became a well-known and respected military specialist. He presented his numerous military developments in a letter written to the Milanese Duke Sforza.
One of the most fascinating ideas of the scientist was ... a tank. However, the design of Leonardo would be much more correct to call a distant prototype armored cars of the XX century. This design was round in shape and outwardly resembled a turtle bristling with guns from all sides. The inventor hoped to solve the problem of movement with the help of horses. True, this idea was quickly abandoned: in a confined space, animals could become uncontrollable. Instead, the "engine" of this tank was to be eight people who would turn the levers connected to the wheels, and thus move the combat vehicle forward. Another member of the crew was to be at the top of the vehicle and indicate the direction of movement. It is interesting that the design of the armored car allowed it to move only forward. As it is easy to guess, at that time the concept of the tank had little chances for realization. A truly effective weapon will become a tank only when it is possible to create a suitable internal combustion engine. The main merit of da Vinci was that he managed to open the curtain of history and look at many centuries ahead.
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Chariot-spit
In 1485, another very original and simultaneously terrible invention of the genius of the Renaissance is dated. It received the uncomplicated name "chariot-braid". This chariot was a horse cart equipped with rotating braids. The design does not claim to be the invention of the century. It was also not meant to be realized in the life of this invention. On the other hand, the battle chariot demonstrates the breadth of Da Vinci's ideas as a military specialist.
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Machine gun
One of the most famous inventions of da Vinci, ahead of their time, is considered to be a machine gun. Although the design of Leonardo is more correct to call a multi-barrel weapon. Da Vinci had several projects of guns of volley fire. The most famous of his invention in this field is the so-called "musket in the form of an organ pipe". The structure had a rotating platform, on which were placed three rows of muskets (arquebus) along eleven trunks. The Da Vinci machine gun could have made only three shots without recharging, but they would have been sufficient to defeat a large number of enemy soldiers. The main drawback of the design was that such a machine gun is extremely difficult to recharge, especially in combat conditions. Another version of the multi-barrel implements assumed the location of a large number of muskets as a fan. The trunks of the gun were pointed in different directions, increasing the radius of the defeat. Like the previous development, the "fan" tool was supposed to be equipped with wheels to increase mobility.
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Cannonballs and "mobile" bridges
Perhaps the most perspicacious invention of da Vinci was the keel-like cannon balls. Such cores in form resembled artillery shells of the XX century. This development for many centuries ahead of its time. It demonstrates a deep understanding of the laws of aerodynamics.
Great value for its time was an invention, called the "rotating bridge". This bridge became the prototype of modern mobile mechanized bridges intended for the rapid transfer of troops from one shore to another. The Da Vinci Bridge was solid and attached to one shore. After installing the bridge, it was supposed to turn it to the opposite bank using ropes.
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Diving suit
Yes, yes, his invention is also credited with da Vinci. The diving suit was made of leather and equipped with glass lenses. The diver could breathe with the help of reed pipes. The scientist proposed the concept of a diving suit to reflect the threat emanating from the Turkish fleet. According to the idea, the divers had to sink to the bottom and wait for the arrival of enemy ships. When the enemy ships appeared over the water, the divers had to sabotage and let the ships sink to the bottom. To prove the correctness of this concept was not fated. Venice was able to resist the Turkish fleet without the help of saboteurs. By the way, the first detachment of combat swimmers in the world appeared in Italy, but it happened only in 1941. The very same design of the spacesuit, presented by Da Vinci, can be considered innovative.
"Vitruvian Man" - one of the most famous drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. The figure is noteworthy for the detailed reconstruction of the proportions of the human body. It simultaneously causes scientific and cultural interest. It is noteworthy that long before the image of the "Vitruvian Man" da Vinci, a similar drawing was made by the Italian scientist Mariano Takoloy. True, the image of Takkola was only an unprocessed sketch.
Submarine, mine, pistol details
Until now, the records of Leonardo da Vinci, on which you can clearly disassemble the prototype of a submarine, have come down. But there is very little information about it. Most likely, on the surface the ship could move using sails. Under the water, the vessel had to move with the help of power.
To defeat the ships of the enemy, Da Vinci designed a special underwater mine. According to the inventor's intention, to the side of the enemy ship such a mine could be delivered by divers or submarine divers. For the first time this idea was realized only in the second half of the XIX century, during the Civil War in the United States.
Despite the abundance of inventions, only one of them brought da Vinci fame during his lifetime. It's about the wheel lock for the gun. In the 16th century, this development gave birth to a real technological boom. The design was so successful that it was used until the XIX century.
All of the above is not a complete list of Da Vinci inventions. In addition to these developments, the master's ideas included: a bearing, a mechanical ladder, a quick-fire crossbow, steam weapons, a ship with a double bottom, and much more.
"Mona Lisa" ("Gioconda") is perhaps the most mysterious example of painting in the world. So far, the picture gives rise to many questions. So, for certain it is not known who exactly da Vinci painted on his canvas. It is believed that the picture depicts the noble Florentine Lisa Gerardini. One of the most incredible theories is that the picture is a self-portrait of Da Vinci himself.
Ideal city
If history went another way, a small Italian town of Vigevano near Milan could become a true miracle of the world. It was there that Leonardo da Vinci intended to realize his most ambitious idea - the ideal city. The Da Vinci project resembles a high-tech city of the future from literary works of science fiction writers. Or the utopia, generated by a stormy literary fantasy.
The main feature of this city was that it consisted of several tiers connected by stairs and crossings. As it is easy to guess, the upper tier was intended for the upper strata of society. Bottom was allocated for trade and services. There were also important elements of transport infrastructure. The city was to become not only the greatest architectural achievement of that time, but also to embody a lot of technical innovations. However, do not take the project as a manifestation of soulless technocracy. Da Vinci paid much attention to the comfort of the inhabitants of the city. The emphasis was on practicality and hygiene. The scientist decided to abandon the narrow medieval streets in favor of spacious roads and squares. One of the key aspects of the concept was the widespread use of water channels. With the help of a complex hydraulic system, water had to flow into every city building. Da Vinci believed that this way it will be possible to eliminate unsanitary conditions and reduce the spread of diseases to a minimum.
Having familiarized himself with the concept of the scientist, the Milanese Duke Lodovico Sforza found the idea unnecessarily adventurous. At the end of his life, Leonardo presented the same project to the French King Francis I. The scientist proposed to make the city the capital of the monarch, but the project remained on paper.
One of the interests of Da Vinci was anatomy. It is known that the master dismembered a multitude of corpses, trying to understand the riddles of human anatomy. Most of all the scientist was interested in the structure of muscles. Leonardo da Vinci wanted to understand the principle of human movement. After himself, he left many anatomical records.
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A genius or a plagiarist?
As you know, history develops in a spiral. Many inventions were born long before their development was appropriated by other inventors. Probably, Leonardo da Vinci is also no exception. Do not forget that Da Vinci had access to the scientific heritage of ancient civilization. In addition, Da Vinci lived surrounded by the best minds of his time. He had the opportunity to communicate with prominent figures of science and culture. Many ideas the scientist could learn from his colleagues.
The artist and engineer Mariano Takkola is the forgotten genius of the Renaissance. He died in 1453 (Da Vinci was born in 1452 year). Unlike da Vinci, Mariano Takkola did not receive recognition during his life and did not gain worldwide fame after it. Meanwhile, many of the developments of Takkola have found their continuation in the works of da Vinci. It is known that Leonardo was familiar with the works of Francesco di Giorgio, who, in turn, based on the ideas of Takkola. For example, in the manuscripts of di Giorgio da Vinci had the opportunity to get acquainted with the concept of a diving suit Takkola.
Inventions by Mariano Tacola / © Alamy
It would be a mistake to consider da Vinci an inventor and an aircraft. In the eleventh century, the monk Aylmer of Malmesberia lived on the territory of England. Possessing wide knowledge in the field of mathematics, he built a primitive hang glider and even made a short-term flight on it. It is known that Aylmer managed to fly more than two hundred meters.
It is likely that Leonardo also borrowed the helicopter concept. But already with the Chinese. In the XV century, traders from China brought to the territory of Europe toys, reminiscent of mini-helicopters.
A similar point of view is held by the British historian Gavin Menzies, who believes that his most famous inventions da Vinci took it from the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire. Menzies claims that in 1430 the Chinese delegation visited Venice, giving the Venetians many developments of Chinese scientists.
During the creation of the "Mona Lisa" da Vinci used specially designed by him artistic technique. It was called sfumato. This technique consisted in the fact that the artist applied a minimal layer of paint to the canvas. This created the effect of air, enveloping objects and people depicted in the picture.
Whatever it was, Leonardo da Vinci always remains for us one of the greatest inventors of all time. Many ideas were realized thanks to Leonardo. The scientist has improved various inventions and, more importantly, he has been able to give them visibility. Do not forget that Leonardo da Vinci was a talented artist. The master left a lot of sketches to his developments. And even if the ideas attributed to Da Vinci do not belong to him, it can not be denied that the scientist was able to systematize a huge layer of knowledge, bringing this knowledge to descendants.
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