From December 6, 2025 to June 7, 2026: The genius of Leonardo da Vinci in one of the most fascinating places in the world. From the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan, the precious drawings of the Codex Atlanticus arrive in Naples for the first time.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) is considered one of the greatest geniuses in history.
Painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist and inventor, he perfectly embodied the ideal of Renaissance Man.
Born in Vinci, near Florence, he worked for the most important Italian courts, from Milan to Florence to Rome.
His works, such as La Gioconda and L'Ultima Cena, are among the most famous masterpieces of universal art.
But Leonardo was also a tireless observer of nature: he studied the human body, the flight of birds, water and machines, leaving thousands of drawings and notes that testify to his borderless curiosity and his extraordinarily modern vision.
THE ATLANTIC CODE
The Atlantic Code is the largest collection of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings and writings that has come down to us. Stored at the Ambrosiana Library in Milan, it includes 1,119 sheets that can be dated between 1478 and 1519. The name comes from the large format of the sheets used, similar to that of the geographical atlases. The Code contains studies of all kinds: projects of war machines and scientific instruments, drawings of architecture and hydraulic engineering, studies of anatomy, botany, geometry and art.
The collection was assembled in the sixteenth century by the sculptor Pompeo Leoni, who gathered scattered sheets belonging to various notebooks by Leonardo.
Dopo vicende complesse – tra dispersioni, trafugamenti e restauri – il Codice Atlantico è oggi un documento fondamentale per comprendere la mente universale e visionaria di Leonardo da Vinci.
THE EXHIBITION IN NAPLES curated by Monsignor Alberto Rocca.
The opportunity to exhibit three sheets of the Atlantic Codex at the Cloister of Santa Chiara in Naples will offer the opportunity to deepen studies on the most interesting topics related to Leonardo's working method. First of all, the exhibition will focus on Leonardo's "mirror" writing technique, investigating his handwriting (which changes over time), his language and the motivations of this original system. Secondly, the opportunity to exhibit the original drawings will allow the investigation and presentation on multimedia of the great wealth constituted by the Leonardesco codices, of which the most famous presences in the world will be identified and told. The in-depth study on sheets 518, 816 and 239 concerns the complexity of their contents. On the one hand, the presence of anthropomorphic figures offers the opportunity to investigate the "pictorial" trait present in Leonardo's drawings, the treatment of shadows and the physiognomy of faces. On the other hand, the geometric studies contained in the pages and the technical comments lead to the illustration of his relationships with the greatest scientists and mathematicians of the time, such as Luca Pacioli, and the study of geometry, which innervates the entire Leonardo research.
SECTIONS
OF THE EXHIBITION
1. Leonardo's life
Through the use of multimedia media and panels, Leonardo's entire path will be illustrated, with particular attention to the way in which writing has accompanied his research and has changed over time
2. The masterpieces in Leonardo's sheets
Through multimedia media, those sheets will be presented in which studies and notes relating to the artist's pictorial masterpieces can be traced, thus manifesting the close relationship between drawing and painting in Leonardo's work, where drawing is always considered a tool for research and knowledge.
3. The three sheets. The presentation of the three sheets will be accompanied by enlargements and a precise transcription of the words and strokes, so as to accompany the visitor in the exploration and understanding of each page.
PRICES AND PURCHASE INFO
For visitors who would like to access it, the additional cost to the entrance fee to the Cloister is:
- 2,00 euro per Tariffa Standard;
- 1,00 euro per Tariffa Ridotta per insegnanti, over 65, studenti universitari dai 18 ai 30 anni e gruppi superiori alle 25 unità; *
- 1,00 euro per Tariffa Speciale per ragazzi dagli 8 ai 18 anni. *
Il costo indicato si aggiunge alla tariffa standard del Complesso Monumentale che per le varie categorie è di:
- 7,00 euro TARIFFA STANDARD
- 5,00 euro TARIFFA RIDOTTA per gli insegnanti, gli over 65, gli studenti universitari dai 18 ai 30 anni e gruppi superiori alle 25 unità
- 4,00 euro TARIFFA SPECIALE per i ragazzi dagli 8 ai 18 anni.
* RESTANO ESCLUSI I SERVIZI AGGIUNTIVI (es. saltafila,visita guidata, ecc )
