The Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology is the largest museum of its kind in Italy. It was opened in 1953 and is named after the great Italian scientist and artist Leonardo da Vinci.
The museum is located in the ancient monastery of San Vittore al Corpo and is divided into seven sections: materials, transport, energy, communications, Leonardo da Vinci's art and science, science for the young, new frontiers. Each section has special labs for children and students.
The transport section consists of four sections: the air section with models of various aeroplanes and military aircraft, the railway section with a reconstruction of the facade of a railway station from the late 19th century, and the water section with the captain's bridge of the transatlantic liner Conte Biancamano. A separate section is dedicated to the submarine Enrico Toti-S-506 (Italian diesel-electric submarine).
In the materials section one can learn about the life cycle of modern materials, from the different raw materials to the recycling of used materials. A separate exhibition is dedicated to the process of metal extraction and processing techniques. The first arc steel furnace, invented in 1898 by Ernesto Stassano, is also on display here.
The energy section is dedicated to energy sources - here you can see a thermal power plant from 1895 and devices used in the petrochemical industry.
The Communications section is no less interesting; it is also divided into several sections. The astronomy section displays antique astronomical and topographical instruments, including a 17th-century celestial and terrestrial globe, a Salmoiraga telescope and a Foucault pendulum. The telecommunications section displays all kinds of modern communications equipment, from telegraphs to telephones and wireless communicators, as well as examples of radios and televisions. Finally, the sound department introduces the main technologies in sound recording and sound transmission.
One of the most interesting sections of the museum is the one dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci himself and his inventions. In it you can see jewellery, sketches of the great scientist, a collection of clocks and musical instruments.
