Leonardo da Vinci (b. 1452, Vinci, d. 1519)

Flight and Freedom

Leonardo was a keen observer of nature. His careful study and his mania of taking notes on anything which struck his fancy him was what convinced of the possibility of the 'big bird'.

His first reflections on flying began in Milan and continued in Florence, interesting for the rest of his life.

"The big bird will fly," he wrote, "over Mount Ceceri, filling the universe with wonder, filling every book with its fame and the nest where it was born with eternal glory."

Starting from his observation of nature, Leonardo elaborated his inductive experimental method and soon realized the vital function of experience to achieve scientific knowledge. For Leonardo, pure science had no meaning if not preceded by experience and practice.

No words better than his own can explain this concept: Science is the captain, practice the soldiers.

From this principle was born his attention for the details of nature, the only facets of life that man could completely understand, thanks to the study he could devote to them. In this sense, Leonardo was a forerunner of scientific methods that would be fully a century later.

[ Leonardo in Florence ]
[ His Years in Milan ]
[ His Roman Sojourn ]
[ Leonardo in France ]
[ Leonardo the Engineer ]
...[ Leonardo and Warcraft ]
...[ The Art of War ]
...[ Leonardo and Water ]
...[ Entertainments ]
...[ Mechanics ]
[ The Portrait of Mona Lisa ]