What do you know about Leonardo da Vinci?

He painted the famous “Mona Lisa”! He could write back and forth! He designed buildings, bridges and flying machines! He’s a genius and he has done a lot of … things?

Okay, we are sure you know a little more than that, but if you’re not a Renaissance scholar, you’re sure to wonder and be surprised at how much you did not know about one of the most famous scientists in the history of the world. You now have the opportunity to look into his notes, sketches, designs and ideas, thanks to the British Library, which digitizes his notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, containing 570 pages of curious notes. You can see the work of the Italian artist in its original form here.

This is the first publication of the notes of the brilliant Renaissance scholar and artist. The notebook is a living record of the thoughts of a mind that has left a tremendous trace in human development.

For hundreds of years the vast, secret collection of manuscripts remains unknown to everyone except for a small and closed group of collectors

After the death of Leonardo da Vinci, who lived and worked in France, his student Francesco Melzi brings many of his manuscripts and drawings back to Italy. Melzi’s heirs, who had no idea of ​​the importance of what they now have, thrown them away. However, over 5000 pages of Leonardo’s notes, which he created through his unique European culture of writing from right to left can still be found. The Italian was an outstanding visionary and more than 300 years before planes, helicopters, parachutes and cars had been created, he was ready with drawings, sketches and plans of them.

The artist did not have the desire or the ambition to publish his notes and his student and his heirs made impressive efforts to keep Leonardo’s ideas, thoughts and projects away from the curious eyes of society. Now, however, thanks to the digitized collections such as those in the British Library, anyone can study the mind, labour and genius of the great Leonardo da Vinci.