Leonardo//thek@ 2.0 is Museo Galileo‘s, new digital platform, which brings together images, transcriptions, indices, critical apparatus and research tools relating to the Codex Atlanticus, held at the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, and Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings formerly part of the Codex and now in the Royal Collection at Windsor.
As part of the project, Gruppo Panini Cultura digitised the watermarks found in the 1,119 folios of the Codex Atlanticus, which can now be explored on Leonardo//thek@ 2.0. Watermarks are features formed within the paper during the manufacturing process. They can provide valuable evidence about the provenance of the paper and the relationships between individual folios.
Haltadefinizione,Gruppo Panini Cultura’s technology company specialising in the digitisation of historical and artistic heritage, developed an acquisition method tailored to the specific characteristics of each folio, taking into account the presence of texts, drawings and different types of ink.
The folios were digitised at 800 ppi at the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana using ultra-high-resolution imaging techniques, including transmitted-light photography, near-infrared reflectography and raking-light photography. The combined use of these techniques made it possible to identify differences in paper thickness and variations in surface relief.
Gruppo Panini Cultura’s contribution adds a new set of data to Leonardo//thek@ 2.0, supporting the study of the manuscripts as physical objects. Alongside the texts and drawings, users can now examine the paper itself as an integral part of each document. This helps to reduce the need to handle the originals, while opening up new opportunities for research and analysis.
The platform was developed through a collaboration between Museo Galileo, the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, the Royal Collection Trust and the Biblioteca Leonardiana in Vinci, with the support of the Commission for the National Edition of Leonardo da Vinci’s Manuscripts and Drawings.
