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City >> history >> art-culture
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HISTORY, ART/CULTURE
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History
In former times, Vinci
was inhabited by the Etruscans, and later became a Roman "castrum".
The primitive castle building dates back to the height of the
Middle Ages and, around the year 1000, was dominated by the Conti
Guidi, whose possession was confirmed in 1164 by Frederick
Barbarossa and in 1220 by Frederick Il of Sweden. On August 12,
1254, Vinci succumbed to Florentine dominion and was transformed
into a borough. |
As it was situated on
the western borders of the state, Vinci was contended by Florence's
enemies; it was also directly involved in the events caused by
those factions which tormented life in the capital. In 1315,
Uguccione della Faggiuola's troops fought under Vinci's walls; in
1320-26, John Hawkwood, dubbed "The Acute", was at the
head of the English mercenaries hired by Pisa.
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The Castle
Through the centuries, the
original structure of the Conti Guidi Castle underwent
various alterations by its numerous proprietors. It was
returned to the borough of Vinci by Count Julius Masetti da
Bagnano, in 1919, for the restoration of the Leonardo Museum.
The museum, which dates back to 1953, was composed of a
series of machines inspired by Leonardo. |
In the new arrangement,
the models have been inserted in a larger, more comprehensive
exhibition and are accompanied by descriptive notes. The series of
reconstructions using real dimensions compares Leonardo's designs
in relation to movement on land, sea and air to analogous
mechanisms thought up by technicians and inventors before, during
and after Leonardo's lifetime.
The Conti Guidi Castle is commonly referred to as "The Ship's
Castle", due to its long shape and tower which recall the
outline of a sailing-boat. Here you can also find the frescoes and
sculptures of the various coats of arms, which evoke the former
podestą, and Giovanni della Robbia's splendid ceramic, "The
Madonna and Child".
"The Man from Vinci", a large wooden sculpture by Mario
Ceroli, inspired by Leonardo's Vitruvian man, was erected in the
square opposite the castle in 1987.
Near the Conti Guidi Castle lies Santa Croce Parish Church. It is
filled with relics of great local historical interest and is of
Romanesque origin with various modifications; the bell tower dates
back to 1852, the interior and faēade to 1929, the new baptistry
to 1952, containing the salvaged baptismal font where, according
to tradition, Leonardo was christened.
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The
environs
About 3 km from Vinci, at Anchiano, lies the house where Leonardo was born. It was
restored in 1986 and adds an interesting finishing touch to a
tour of the museum. The landscape surrounding the house is still
very similar to the one Leonardo had contemplated and drawn
since childhood. That is why it was decided, during the repairs,
to decorate the house with examples of how Leonardo was able to
"see" and interpret nature. Inside the house are the
reproductions of several drawings representing views of the
Tuscan countryside and a map of the Arno valley, traced by
Leonardo himself. |
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At present, a new museum building is being prepared in the proximity
of the Conti Guidi Castle to host the "Leda di Vinci", a
superb painting from the school of Leonardo, assigned to the borough
of Vinci by the Minister of Fine Arts. The new museum will be devoted
to the theme of Leonardo the painter, thus completing and
encapsulating the Leonardian itinerary of the museum, birthplace and
library.
The arrival of the " Leda" at Vinci will thus fill " the
gap caused by the lack of any original work by Leonardo or his group
in his native town".
The Vinci itinerary is completed by Leonardo's Library, which now
represents an authoritative reference point for the study of the works
and thoughts of Leonardo and his times. The collection includes the
complete series of reproductions of Leonardo's manuscripts and
drawings and a detailed documentation in many languages of the most
important publications and monographs.
Since 1972, the Museum of the Agricultural Community has stood in Via
Montalbano, in the historical centre . It forms a part of the great
Castle Cellars and includes the collection of a vast range of antique
farming implements. After large-scale renovations, the new "Ideal
Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Art and the Utopia of Science" has
also been dedicated to the exposition of material from various
exhibitions on Leonardo which have taken place in recent years both in
Italy and abroad.
Apart from Leonardo, other famous people are associated with Vinci:
another great artist from the same family was born here, the sculptor
Pierfrancesco da Vinci, known as Pierino (around 1530 - 1554),
Leonardo's nephew to whom Vasari dedicated one of his famous
"Vite"; at Dianella there are the house and tomb of the poet
Renato Fucini; the national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi lived, in 1867, as
a guest in the two historical villas of the Ferrales and the Martellis.
Again within the borough, 4 km from the chief town, is the "Pieve
di San Giovanni in Greti" at San Ansano. Mentioned in a diploma
of Ottone III in the year 998, it stands as one of the most
interesting monuments of Romanesque art in the Tuscan countryside.
Moreover, Vinci is famous for the excellence and authenticity of its
local products, its extra virgin olive oil and wines (Chianti Putto
Montalbano, Chianti D.O.C.G. ).
Vinci promotes various cultural events throughout the year: the
Leonardo celebrations in April and the July Fair which, in the past
few years, has revived the traditional historical commemoration of the
"Flight of Cecco Santi" from the Castle Tower.
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