La Lombardia di Leonardo dall'alto

On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Leonardo Da Vinci’s death, the Belvedere of Palazzo Lombardia will open its doors to visitors in order for them to take part in a journey to the discovery of the "Leonardo in Lombardia" itineraries.

Starting from Saturday 11th May (9 am - 1 pm) and Sunday 12th May – and then every Sunday for the whole year 2019 – the 39th floor of Palazzo Lombardia will host the copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s renowned Glider, which was built in collaboration with the Science and Technology Museum of Milan. The wonderful Belvedere will also host explanatory panels and decals describing the life and work of Leonardo, which will help visitors navigate the area and identify the places of Lombardy that played an important role in Leonardo’s life. 

Leonardo was able to translate man’s primordial wish to fly into mechanical shapes inspired by nature. He carried out his studies over the course of two different periods: his reflections on mechanical flight, which he defined as “instrumental”, date back to his first stay in Milan (1482-1499), whereas his ever more complex, organic studies on the ability of birds to hover “without flapping their wings” date back to the following decade.
Leonardo grew an interest in devices conceived so as to imitate gliding birds by interacting with air currents.  

The drawing of the glider is one of the most complete designs in this field: two wings, the extremities of which can be flexed by the pilot in order to better control the glide, are attached to a gondola located in the middle.