Around 1502, Leonardo da Vinci created a “futuristic” floor plan map of the city of Imola, showcasing structures as if viewed from a satellite above.
Leonardo da Vinci produced this map in 1502 at the request of the famous general Cesare Borgia. At that time, airplanes, satellites, and GPS had not yet been invented, so Leonardo da Vinci crafted this satellite map entirely by hand. What forces enabled him to achieve something that would not be accomplished by his descendants until centuries later?
Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519), born Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, was an Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, physician, engineer, anatomist, inventor, and natural philosopher. He is considered one of the greatest geniuses in human history. He is the author of famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He was a visionary with ideas that were ahead of his time, particularly regarding concepts like the helicopter, tank, parachute, solar energy, computers, preliminary theories of terrain shaping, and double-hulled ships, along with many other inventions. Some of his designs were realized and feasible during his lifetime. The application of science in metallurgy and engineering during the Renaissance was still in its infancy. Additionally, he made significant contributions to knowledge and understanding in anatomy, astronomy, civil engineering, optics, and hydraulic studies. The remnants of his life include only a few paintings and several hand-drawn notebooks (scattered across various collections of his works), containing sketches, illustrations of science, and notes. |
