Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan

LEONARDO’S CODEX ATLANTICUS AND THE TREASURES OF THE AMBROSIANA

The Codex Atlanticus is the world’s largest collection of Leonardo’s drawings. The Codex is named after its big format, typical of a geographical atlas. In the late ‘500 the sculptor Pompeo Leoni gathered more than 1700 drawings and writings of Leonardo in one big volume of 402 pages. In 1637 the Codex Atlanticus, together with 11 other manuscripts by Leonardo, were donated to the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. Brought to Paris by Napoleon, the Codex returned to Milan, where it remained ever since.
The 1.119 pages of the Codex have been bound until 2008 in 12 volumes, which were so heavy that the preservation of the drawings was treathened. The sheets have now been unbound in order to be preserved in the best possible conditions and to be finally displayed and shown to the public in the Federiciana room of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. At the Ambrosiana, besides Leonardo’s drawings, visitors will also admire the whole Museum collection with masterpieces such as the Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio, the Cartoon for the School of Athens by Raphael, the Musician by Leonardo, the Madonna of the Pavillion by Botticelli and many others.