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1482-1499
At the court of Ludovico il Moro
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Leonardo, military engineer
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Leonardo's interest in architecture and military
engineering determined the course of his travels and the
nature of his activities on several occasions. His
knowledge of war machines, cannons, assault carriages,
and siege procedures, of which he boasted in his famous
letter to Ludovico, found practical application when,
after the fall of the duchy, Leonardo journeyed to
Venice as the Republic's military adviser. These same
duties took him to central Italy with Cesare Borgia
(1502-03) and then to Piombino (c.1504). As a military
engineer, Leonardo built on the concepts of Brunelleschi,
Taccola, Francesco di Giorgio, and Valturio. After the
revolutionary introduction of firearms, he designed an
array of weapons for use on land and sea, demonstrating
their capabilities with ballistic experiments to
increase the range of fire and speed up the loading and
firing of mortars, also inventing weapons such as multi-barrelled
cannons, projectiles, and exploding bombshells.
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Leonardo da Vinci,
View of a Fortress, c.1504,
Madrid Codex, Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid.
This quadrangular fortress with cylindrical turrets
connected to
lunettes is no longer identified with the Sforza
Castle in Milan.
The project for the fort was in fact derived from
Francesco di Giorgio.
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Leonardo da Vinci,
Polygonal Bulwark,
c.1502-03,
Codice Atlantico, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan.
The drawing shows a fortress bounds by a ditch and
two concentric enclosures.
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Leonardo da Vinci,
Star-shaped Bastion with an Indication of
the Gun Embrasures
Turned Towards a Circular Inner Courtyard,
1502-03,
Codice Atlantico, Biblioteca Ambrosiana,
Milan.
After the downfall of the Sforza dynasty and
the increase in the production
of artillery devices, traditional defensive
systems were reviewed.
The bastions were introduced in order to
replace the now largely obsolete
corner towers of castles and fortresses.
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Plan of the City oflmola,
before 1474,
Royal Library, Windsor.
This celebrated drawing is not attributable to Leonardo,
who is credited only with the additions (1502-03), but
to Danesio Mainen |
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Leonardo da Vinci, Multi Barrel Gun
1480-82
Drawing
Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan
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Leonardo da Vinci, Crossbow Machine
1480-82
Drawing
Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan
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Leonardo da Vinci, Giant Crossbow
1480-82
Drawing
Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan
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Leonardo da Vinci, Device for Repelling
Scaling Ladders,
c.1480,
Codice Atlantico, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan.
Leonardo studied new systems of defence, both active
and passive,
according to the military requirements of the court
of Ludovico il Moro.
Many of his studies were duly readopted and
developed by Michelangelo Buonarroti for the defence
of Florence against the imperial army in 1527.
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