Leonardo lovers in North America are soon in for a rare treat. Following complex collaborations between international parties, the first-of-its-kind Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America is officially heading to Pueblo, Colorado.
Leonardo da Vinci Museum Set to Open in Pueblo, CO
The Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America will establish its first permanent location on Pueblo’s downtown riverwalk. The project is the result of a partnership between the Southern Colorado Science Center (SCSC), the city of Pueblo, Pueblo Urban Renewal, and the Artisans of Florence. The first of its kind in North America, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum will feature interactive exhibits and life-sized replicas based on the Italian Renaissance icon’s most interesting drawings and sketches—including flying machines.
The Colorado Economic Development Commission granted final approval for the Pueblo plans this week. “We couldn’t be more excited,” said Craig Eliot Cisney, vice president of the Leonardo da Vinci Museum board. “In the next few days, we expect to kick off a capital campaign to begin raising funding. The city will have to get all the old equipment out of the building so we can start renovating it… There’s a lot, and it’s going to take a village. But we’re going to get it done.”
“We are Thrilled to Share the Genius of Leonardo”
The Colorado-based museum board signed a ten-year exclusivity memorandum with Artisans of Florence, an Italian craftsman’s association, which oversees the global operation of Leonardo da Vinci Museums. This memorandum ensures that the Colorado institution will be the only permanent museum of its kind in the United States. Sister museums already exist in Italy, France, South Korea, Australia, and Brazil.
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“We are thrilled to share the genius of Leonardo da Vinci across the country through the incredible work of the Artisans of Florence,” said Joe Arrigo, chairman of the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America. “The growing interest in these exhibits and the support from Pueblo made it the perfect location for the first Leonardo da Vinci Museum in North America,” said Arrigo. “Pueblo’s rich history in steelmaking and manufacturing makes it an ideal place to celebrate da Vinci’s genius and inspire future generations to explore STEAM fields.”
Leonardo’s Italian Renaissance Inventions
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance. He mastered many artistic disciplines—including painting, sculpture, draughtsmanship, and architecture—while simultaneously blazing new trails in science and engineering. Leonardo’s fame was first founded on his achievements as a Renaissance artist, but he later became known for the trove of notebooks he left behind. These writings, sketches, and drawings offer fascinating insights into the Renaissance Man’s mind. Their pages reveal forward-thinking theories and inventions.
Leonardo was particularly interested in seeing his inventions take flight. He designed several aerial machines, most of which were ornithopters inspired by his studies of avian anatomy. These machines employed flapping wings to generate lift and propulsion. While Leonardo himself never actually built any of his designs, they exemplified the daring imagination and optimistic spirit of Renaissance humanism.
