That Leonardo singlehandedly influenced modern machinery as we know it today centuries before his plans and sketches came to fruition, is a given. To see what his contraptions would have looked like had he or anyone else followed up on his indications is now a tangible reality.In an extraordinary event that has already taken place in various cities around the world, The Genius of Leonardo showcases 80 prototypes of machines faithfully reproduced on a lifesize scale as per the Leonardo Codex. Demonstrating how he was truly a gifted and extraordinary inventor, the exhibit displays among other things his model for the bicycle, flight machines, and the forerunner of the modern parachute.
Set up in four sections dedicated to machines for use with each of the four vital elements - earth, fire, water, and air, while a fifth category is dedicated to the versatility of mechanisms, it is a rare opportunity to see such a large collection of works under one roof that manifests the vision, and the precision, of Da Vinci as he had intended it - well over five hundred years ago.
The Sea Museum of Palermo (Arsenale Borbonico - Museo Del Mare) via Dell'Arsenale (formerly via Cristoforo Colombo) until April 15.
