L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 4 I ts historic center is a w e a v e o f n a r r o w a l l e y w a y s , c o u r t - y a r d s , a n d n o b l e p a l a c e s , w h e r e t h e a t m o s p h e r e r e m a i n s d i s - tinctly ancient, shaped by L e c c e s t o n e a n d r e f i n e d a r c h i t e c t u r e . W e a r e i n G a l a t o n e , a n a p p e a l i n g town in Salento, just a few meils from the Ionian coast. It is one of the lesser-known yet most authentic destina- tions in southern Puglia, one of those places just beyond the routes of mass tourism that crowd Lecce, but well worth a stop. If the Sanctu- ary of the Most Holy Crucifix of Pietà stands as a Baroque gem, not far away, there is a " l i v i n g m u s e u m " t h a t i s equally worth visiting. I n s i d e t h e P a l a z z o Marchesale, in the heart of the old town, an engaging exhibition allows visitors to explore over fifty fully func- tional machines, faithfully r e c o n s t r u c t e d f r o m L e o n a r d o d a V i n c i ' s original drawings. Mod- els in wood and metal illus- t r a t e w h a t c a n o n l y b e described as a "masterpiece of thought," a body of work s p a n n i n g e n g i n e e r i n g , f l i g h t , c o n s t r u c t i o n , a n d h y d r a u l i c s t h a t r e v e a l s a restless and curious man of the fifteenth century who f e e l s n o t o n l y r e l e v a n t today, but almost futuristic. T h e S a l e n t o a r t i s t a n d scholar Giuseppe Manis- c o i n t e r p r e t e d a n d b u i l t a r o u n d 1 5 0 L e o n a r d o - inspired models with metic- ulous precision, turning a personal passion into some- thing to be shared. His work offers an immersive journey t h r o u g h a s c i e n t i f i c a n d technological catalogue of prototypes, tools, mills, cat- a p u l t s , c r o s s b o w s , d r a w - bridges, cranes, and tele- scopes designed centuries a g o . B y t r a n s f o r m i n g L e o n a r d o ' s s k e t c h e s i n t o tangible objects, he brings t h e m t o l i f e f o r s c h o o l g r o u p s , s h o w i n g h o w a n i d e a c a n t a k e s h a p e a n d function in ways that still f e e l f o r w a r d - l o o k i n g f i v e hundred years later. April 15 holds particular significance in Italian cul- ture: it marks the birth- day of the "genius of the Renaissance," a universal s y m b o l o f c r e a t i v i t y a n d i n n o v a t i o n , o f s c i e n t i f i c thinking and empirical prac- t i c e , o f o b s e r v a t i o n a n d imagination. I n V i n c i , t h e T u s c a n town where Leonardo was born, this year he will be honored with a statue con- ceived not only as a tribute to his historical figure, but as a living symbol of human ingenuity. The work by Fil- i p p o T i n c o l i n i i n v i t e s r e f l e c t i o n o n c u r i o s i t y , experimentation, and inter- disciplinary knowledge, the v e r y q u a l i t i e s t h a t m a d e Leonardo a timeless figure. Carved in Carrara marble, the same material Michelan- gelo transformed into mas- terpieces, the statue will be the centerpiece of celebra- tions aimed at symbolically b r i n g i n g h o m e a d i s t i n - guished native son whose name has carried this quiet hillside town of olive groves a n d v i n e y a r d s a c r o s s t h e world. L e o n a r d o c a n a l s o b e rediscovered in Florence, b e t w e e n t h e i n t e r a c t i v e museum dedicated to him and the Uffizi Gallery, where works such as the Annunci- ation, the Baptism of Christ, a n d t h e L a d y w i t h a n E r m i n e s p e a k f o r t h e m - selves. In Milan, the Last Supper in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie is c o m p l e m e n t e d b y t h e National Museum of Science and Technology, which dis- plays working models of his inventions, while the Pina- coteca Ambrosiana houses the Portrait of a Musician, alongside manuscripts and drawings that can also be found in Rome's Capitoline M u s e u m s a n d t h e C i v i c Museum of Ancient Art in Turin. April 15 also coincides w i t h W o r l d A r t D a y , established by UNESCO on the proposal of the Interna- tional Association of Art to promote the development, dissemination, and appreci- ation of art in all its forms, and to highlight the impor- tance of artists worldwide. The choice of date is inten- tional, linked to Leonardo's birth, as he embodies the universal value of creativity as a driver of cultural and social growth. Artist, painter, sculptor, architect, and urban planner – as well as scientist, engi- n e e r , p h y s i c i s t , a n d b o t a n i s t , w i t h s t u d i e s i n geometry and hydraulics, a n a t o m y , g e o l o g y , a n d research into flight, the cos- mos, optics, and perspective – Leonardo combined an aesthetic eye with a deeply analytical mind. He did not stop at simple observation: t o d a y , w e m i g h t s a y h e examined everything as if Italy's creative DNA: from Leonardo to Made in Italy BARBARA MINAFRA NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 From left, A church façade in the historic center of Galatone, where you can rediscover Leonardo's ideas today (Photo: Giambattista Lazazzera/Dreamstime); full-scale machines built from Leonardo da Vinci's designs on display in Venice (Photo: Filgueiraotero/Dreamstime); high-quality shoes: perhaps one of the most appreciated Made in Italy products (Photo: Dragan Mujan/Dreamstime)

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