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Firenze and surroundings

portrait of Leonardo

This is the part of Tuscany to which Leonardo dedicated the majority of his works and research projects. It is thus inevitable that Leonardo possessed a thorough, direct knowledge of the places and persons of this territory. In Florence in fact, he spent long periods of his life between the 1460s and 1508. It cannot be excluded that the artist also went to Florence as a boy with his father, or that he stayed there at times during his Milanese and Roman periods, up to the time of the Medicean projects of 1515 and his departure for France in 1516.

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Antella

Leonardo represents the course of the Antella, which flows through the Commune of Bagno a Ripoli. Coordinates taken in the vicinity of Ponte a Ema.

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Badia a Settimo

By "Settimo" Leonardo represents Badia a Settimo (the abbey in the Commune of Scandicci, seven miles from the centre of Florence) on map RLW 12685, and mentions it in Madrid Ms. II (f. 7r). It is a reference point in the system of roads traversing the Arno valley, on the route between Florence and Empoli-Pisa.

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Certosa del Galluzzo

By 'Certosa', Leonardo indicates the Certosa del Galluzzo, one of the most important religious, historic and artistic centres in the vicinity of Florence.

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Ema,

Leonardo draws, on maps RLW 12278 and RLW 12277, the Ema, which flows through the Communes of Bagno a Ripoli, Greve in Chianti, Impruneta and Florence. Coordinates taken at the Certosa del Galluzzo, at the point of confluence with the Greve.

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Firenze

The city of Florence, centre of Humanism and of the Renaissance, was the second homeland of Leonardo, who is frequently mentioned in the sources as "Florentine". On map RLW 12685, for the Arno Canal project, he represents the city without naming it, stenographically evidencing the Cathedral with its dome, the circle of walls and the bridges over the Arno. See thematic itineraries.

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Grassina

Leonardo draws, on maps RLW 12277 and 12278, the course of the Grassina, which flows through the Communes of Bagno a Ripoli, Greve in Chianti and Impruneta. The coordinates were taken at Grassina, the point of confluence with the Ema torrent.

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Lappeggi

Lappeggi, in the Commune of Bagno a Ripoli, belonged in the 14th century to the Abbey of Montescalari. In the 16th century the original construction was replaced by the Medicean Villa built to the design of Bernardo Buontalenti. The villa was radically rebuilt in the following century by Antonio Ferri for Cosimo III.

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Montisoni

By 'Montione', Leonardo indicates the stronghold of Montisoni (formerly known as Montisone and Monte Ghisoni, the seat of a convent), in Val d'Ema. In the vicinity he also draws the stronghold of 'Lignano', recalled for the suppressed Church of S. Andrea a Lignano.

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Strada in Chianti

Leonardo represents and indicates the stronghold of Strada in Chianti, in the Commune of Greve in Chianti.

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Texts by Alessandro Vezzosi, in collaboration with Agnese Sabato

English translation by Catherine Frost

Last update 05/mar/2008