Con l'occhio di Leonardo. Città fortificate e scenari possibili: paesaggio, cartografia e architettura militare

Leonardo’s interest in the Vitruvian machinatio, addressed towards meeting the requirements of military architecture, becomes evident as a result of a return of the Sienese tradition involving mechanisms that can serve both a civil and military purpose Martini’s influence on his military studies is partly known thanks to Leonardo’s own annotations in the Trattato (Codice Laurenziano Ash. 361). Nevertheless, very little is as yet known about the extent to which Leonardo’s military expertise were influenced by his own direct observation of the fortified cities he visited and which were known to him. The present study aims to analyse some of the drawings in Ms. B and cartographic representations of fortified cities done by the master himself, in which a perfect synthesis between art and science was achieved through his designs. These maps contain evidence of how Leonardo appreciated both the natural characteristics of a landscape, as well as the technical, human aspects, which together forged military strategies.