The engineer Leonardo da Vinci

Abstract

A summary of Leonardo da Vinci´s life is presented and many facets of his genius are mentioned. However, emphasis is on his scientific and, mainly, technical concerns. This is done in order to dispassionately weight his actual contributions to engineering. It is concluded that those contributions were much more in the idea field that in practical applications. However, his vision, inquiring mind, and correlation between knowledge, science and praxis, make Leonardo, indeed, the first modern engineer.

Keywords

• Leonardo
• historia de la ingeniería
• Renacimiento
• códices
• historia de las máquinas
• máquinas de guerra