“Le navichule · apresso a li Asiri furono fatte d(i) virghe sottili d(i) sa[lice]”: naval technology in Leonardo’s sheets

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate Leonardo’s developments in naval technology with a focus on Julius Cesar’s “navichule”, named and drawn in the f. 62v of the ms. B. This paper consists of a historical study on these small boats with a contextualization of Leonardo’s notes by highlighting the relationship with other Renaissance manuscripts or treatises and drawings. Much attention is paid to the definition and description of the “navichula”, also focusing on caulking. The article ends with a brief analysis on the Libro XIII by Pirro Ligorio and the Naumachia fresco by Perin del Vaga in connection to Leonardo’s notes.