News: Leonardotheka 2.0 unveiled in London

On Monday, June 8, the new version of Leonardotheka was unveiled at the Embassy of Italy in London. The event was attended by Ambassador Fabio Cassese; Paola Passarelli, Director General for Libraries and Cultural Institutes, Ministry of Culture; Cristina Manetti, Councillor for Culture, Region of Tuscany; scholars and representatives from Museo Galileo, Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana and Royal Collection Trust.

Choosing London is intentional: it underscores the international relevance of a pioneering project dedicated to the digitization and safeguarding of cultural heritage, while also celebrating the partnership with the Royal Collection Trust. This collaboration enabled the integration into Leonardotheka 2.0 of the Leonardo folios which are part of the British Royal Collections.

Leonardotheka 2.0—accessible online from June 8—allows users to consult high-resolution images and transcriptions of both the nearly 1,200 sheets of the Codex Atlanticus and the approximately 600 sheets preserved in the Royal Collection at Windsor. These two monumental digital archives will be available for consultation both independently and as a single, integrated resource featuring cross-searching capabilities. Furthermore, the new edition of Leonardotheka makes it possible to digitally reconstruct the original state of Leonardo’s manuscript legacy prior to the disastrous intervention of Pompeo Leoni, who, in the late 16^th century, dismembered many of Leonardo’s notebooks and loose sheets, distributing them into the two large albums now at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana and the Royal Library in Windsor.

Leonardotheka was developed by Museo Galileo in collaboration with Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Royal Collection Trust, Biblioteca Leonardiana in Vinci, Commissione Vinciana, and LEOcode.