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Leonardo and the waterways

Leonardo and the waterways

Along Tuscany's rivers and streams, beside the various bridges which connect the banks, it is possible to see many man-made objects or interesting sites which, in addition to their history, often ensure the fundamental function of controlling the water to produce various types of energy - as in the case of the mills - or for defense against the flood waters in the case of the embankments.
Some of these places were observed, described and even studied by Leonardo da Vinci for whom water was a fundamental element in the design of the Universe.
The itineraries along the courses of the rivers in Tuscany, thanks to the collaboration of the Consorzio di Bonifica 3 Medio Valdarno, allow to discover hydraulic works of primary importance, many of which attracted the penetrating gaze of Leonardo da Vinci.

Texts by Daniele Vergari / English translation by Nina Brown
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  • The Gonfolina is one of the most famous places in the Arno valley. A few kilometers from Florence, this fascinating site allows you to reconstruct Leonardo's vision of the geological history of Tuscany.

  • The course of the Arno was always of great interest to Leonardo da Vinci who studied and described it several times. Today the Arno offers many areas of great historical, environmental and naturalistic interest.

  • Of the waterways of the Florentine plain the Mugnone is one of the most important. Its course, in great part walkable, has been modified several times as the city has expanded until settling in its current course. Cited often by Leonardo da Vinci, its course is seen clearly in the various maps he made and in several texts.

  • The valley of the Agliena is a little jewel hidden in the hills near Barberino Val d'Elsa. It is an environment of great naturalistic and historical interest with many hydraulic works which were recorded by Leonardo da Vinci.

  • Around Florence there are several areas which were described by Leonardo da Vinci in maps and drawings conserved today in various libraries around the world. One of these is the “pian di Ripoli” (the Ripoli plain), a wide fertile area between the Arno and the hills to the south of Florence, whose magnificent landscape was certainly well known by Leonardo.