TBTAM Does Italy, Part 6 – Vinci and Lucca | The Blog That Ate Manhattan

Vinci

We sleep late yet again (When will we recover from our jet lag?) and hit the road hours later than we had planned. Today’s road trip will take us first to Vinci, the home of Italy’s favorite son – Leonardo da Vinci. Until this day, we never realized that Leonardo’s last name means “from Vinci” – Duh!

Natalie wonders: “Does that mean everyone in this town has the same last name? Or is it just the famous ones? And if I ever get famous, will I be called ‘Natalie from New York City’?”

These are very good questions that I cannot answer. Fortunately, Wikipedia can.

The illegitimate son of a notary, Messer Piero, and a peasant girl, Caterina, Leonardo had no surname in the modern sense, “da Vinci” simply meaning “of Vinci”: his full birth name was “Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci”, meaning “Leonardo, son of (Mes)ser Piero from Vinci.”

Leonardo’s birthplace is a small town surrounded by olive groves and rolling hills not very far from Florence. The centerpiece of the original Renaissance town is the castle, which has been transformed into il Museo de Leonardo da Vinci.

The museum is dedicated not to Leonardo’s art, but to his machines – construction machines, optic instruments, fabric looms. They’ve built quite a number of Leonardo’s machines to his exact specifications, including his bicycle and flying machine. This is just a great little museum!

The kids are actually interested, and we learn how a rack and pinion works, how simple machines can be used to lift large stones with little effort, and how ball bearings reduce friction. This is the physics of everyday life, the stuff I love to explain to the kids. And to see daVinci’s actual notebooks and drawings is magical.

A short hike to the top of the tower is mandatory and we are rewarded with gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside.

A quick sandwich in town and we hit the road again. Next stop, Lucca.

Lucca

The walled town of Lucca is a moderate sized city-within-a-city located not too far from Pisa. Earthen ramparts surround the entire inner city, and auto traffic is limited within its walls. No longer necessary for protection, the ramparts are essentially a 3 mile long city park, filled with tourists and locals of all ages bicycling, running or just strolling hand in hand.

We decide to rent bikes and join in the fun.

After about an hour of riding, the views of the town from the ramparts begin to tempt Mr TBTAM and I, who want to head down into the town to explore.

But the kids are enjoying the ramparts too much to come down, and we give in to them and take a break from touring. Emily starts a watercolor of this scene…

but before she is finished, a nearby church chimes the hour, and she must put away her paints so we can get the bikes back by 8 pm.

We have planned things wrong – Lucca deserves more than a day, and now we must leave it unseen except for these wonderful walls. We debate staying over, but have train tickets back to Rome tomorrow, so it is not possible. And so we head back to Florence, once again promising to return to Italy and see all the things we have missed on this trip.

Tomorrow – A litle more of Rome

Leonardo da Vinci, Pictures Within Pictures, Outside the Box, Outside the Frame, da Vinci DiscoveriesLeonardo da Vinci’s, pictures Within Pictures, Discovered by Michael W. Domoretsky 2005~2007Ipswich, MA, August 05, 2007, Leonardo da Vinci “Pictures Within Pictures” Outside the box, outside the frame. Researched, discovered and documented in 2005, the perpendicular reverse mirror image process and the optical illusion, both invented and applied to Leonardo’s masterpieces, discovered by Michael W. Domoresty of Boston, Massachusetts, five hundred years after Leonardo da Vinci’s lifetime. The da Vinci project has been under way since 2005 with hundreds of “Pictures within Pictures.” They are in the process of building a comprehensive documentary presenting these extraordinary findings.Leonardo da Vinci, Pictures Within Pictures, outside the box, outside the frame.An intimate and divine truth hidden for centuries at last unveiled in the Mona Lisa, and yes, in other work’s of Leonardo’s as well, including his first recorded drawing, the Landscape of the Arno Valley, his masterpiece, The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and the infant St. John the Baptist, and others as well. http://www.lionardofromvinci.com/Mona.htmlA new never before recognized perspective hidden for five hundred years in plain sight, Emerges. Leonardo’s message, “Pictures Within Pictures” outside the box, outside the frame.Five hundred years after Leonardo’s lifetime, his genius and message come to light in mirrors and optical illusions. His “secret code” has been hidden in plain sight to be deciphered outside the original borders of the painting using a “perpendicular reverse mirror image process” Leonardo, (actually Lionardo) was a man of formidable intellect, talent, craft and most importantly a man of curiosity who observed “truth” in the world in all its forms, physical, philosophical, and religious. He was hundreds of years ahead of his time, constrained by the religious tenets and politics of his day. As a result he was unable to express reality, as he perceived it, and so devised a means by which to conceal his truths from all those whom he did not want to understand them for fear of persecution. Being a man of science and art as well as one of the most inventive men of all time, he appears to have imbued his art with multiple levels of meaning; at one level beautiful works of art. On a second and un-deciphered level, until Michael Domoretsky discovered the images it in 2005, appears to challenge the dogma of his day and pass on his beliefs, observations and truths using a process that only one who perceived the world outside the accepted realm, a scientist or mathematician might discover.The more in-dept and familiar one becomes with Leonardo the man, the more these unique finds make sense.Unlike other artist that are painters first, painting what they see or the impression of what they see, Leonardo appears to have been a scientist and inventor first, then artist, using his sharp powers of observation and reason to create both timeless works of art and as yet not fully deciphered messages for those not limited by traditional thinking.The more carefully his words, deeds, apparent opinions and interest are studied the more credence can be given to his seeking to preserve his thoughts and observations by unorthodox means.Leonardo left clues… He was credited with having said: the eye,” Who would believe that so small a space could contain the images of all the universe.” Leonardo believed that the perception by the eye; light, dark, shadow, and perspective held the secrets of the world. Hence, when you include Leonardo’s life long fascination with mirrors and writing backward it appears likely that he would choose to use constructs and concepts familiar and unique to him to transmit and yet hide from a restrictive and turbulent society, his most treasured messages.For hundreds of years scholars have continued to study Leonardo’s priceless works of art using the most cutting edge technologies available. In recent times millions of dollars have been allocated to perform all types of scientific studies seeking to determine if Leonardo hid anything underneath his finished works… all within the frame of his artworks. The plain and obvious truth is that he did hide things, however Leonardo was forced to work within the limitations and utilized the technologies of his day. His meanings are in plain sight but only for those able to think outside the box and frame. All of the writings and documents relating to Leonardo, point to his being deliberate and patient in everything he did, both in his creations and his art; so it would appear all but inconceivable that in his major and personally treasured works, that every detail would have been a deliberate act of thought, and not an inadvertent inclusion. A minor anomaly in a masterpiece might happen, though unlikely in multiple of masterpieces by such a perfectionist. Clearly recognizable, perfectly formed symmetrical symbols on both sides of his best masterpieces, utilizing mirrors, a technique Leonardo was well know to have used, make it being anything but intentional, all but impossibly, you be the judge.They welcome comments by all interested parties and will post appropriate comments.The da Vinci Project,Managing Director, DVP.Michael W. Domoretsky

Contact Information
The da Vinci Project Inc.Michael W. Domoretsky1-508-843-9902contact@lionardofromvinci.comhttp://www.lionadofromvinci.comArticle, da Vinci and the Secret of the “Mona Lisa”http://www.thothweb.com/article-4011–0-0.html

6 Responses to TBTAM Does Italy, Part 6 – Vinci and Lucca

Paula says:

August 4, 2007 at 8:37 am

Dear TBTAM,
Talented raconteur indeed. Your posts and photos entirely evocative, even still, tried playing my Stephen Layton recording of Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna in the watching, and all compatible and even animated by his five serene, intimate little motets. Will let you know if also true as we tour Rome with you and the family.
Paula

Midwife with a Knife says:

August 4, 2007 at 6:50 pm

I am really enjoying your pictures of Italy. I’m glad you had a great trip. 🙂

ccinnkeeper says:

August 4, 2007 at 8:22 pm

I spent a week at a cooking school near Lucca several years ago. We cooked all morning and toured in the afternoons. We spent a whole afternoon wandering around the inner city of Lucca and it was pretty amazing. One of the things that made me smile was the way you could see architectural history in the windows of the buildings. The original Roman arched windows had given way to a gothic style, then to the current large rectangular windows. The brickwork for the two earlier styles is all still there. Gorgeous.

Anonymous says:

August 5, 2007 at 1:18 pm

Leonardo da Vinci, Pictures Within Pictures, Outside the Box, Outside the Frame, da Vinci DiscoveriesLeonardo da Vinci’s, pictures Within Pictures, Discovered by Michael W. Domoretsky 2005~2007Ipswich, MA, August 05, 2007, Leonardo da Vinci “Pictures Within Pictures” Outside the box, outside the frame. Researched, discovered and documented in 2005, the perpendicular reverse mirror image process and the optical illusion, both invented and applied to Leonardo’s masterpieces, discovered by Michael W. Domoresty of Boston, Massachusetts, five hundred years after Leonardo da Vinci’s lifetime. The da Vinci project has been under way since 2005 with hundreds of “Pictures within Pictures.” They are in the process of building a comprehensive documentary presenting these extraordinary findings.Leonardo da Vinci, Pictures Within Pictures, outside the box, outside the frame.An intimate and divine truth hidden for centuries at last unveiled in the Mona Lisa, and yes, in other work’s of Leonardo’s as well, including his first recorded drawing, the Landscape of the Arno Valley, his masterpiece, The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and the infant St. John the Baptist, and others as well. http://www.lionardofromvinci.com/Mona.htmlA new never before recognized perspective hidden for five hundred years in plain sight, Emerges. Leonardo’s message, “Pictures Within Pictures” outside the box, outside the frame.Five hundred years after Leonardo’s lifetime, his genius and message come to light in mirrors and optical illusions. His “secret code” has been hidden in plain sight to be deciphered outside the original borders of the painting using a “perpendicular reverse mirror image process” Leonardo, (actually Lionardo) was a man of formidable intellect, talent, craft and most importantly a man of curiosity who observed “truth” in the world in all its forms, physical, philosophical, and religious. He was hundreds of years ahead of his time, constrained by the religious tenets and politics of his day. As a result he was unable to express reality, as he perceived it, and so devised a means by which to conceal his truths from all those whom he did not want to understand them for fear of persecution. Being a man of science and art as well as one of the most inventive men of all time, he appears to have imbued his art with multiple levels of meaning; at one level beautiful works of art. On a second and un-deciphered level, until Michael Domoretsky discovered the images it in 2005, appears to challenge the dogma of his day and pass on his beliefs, observations and truths using a process that only one who perceived the world outside the accepted realm, a scientist or mathematician might discover.The more in-dept and familiar one becomes with Leonardo the man, the more these unique finds make sense.Unlike other artist that are painters first, painting what they see or the impression of what they see, Leonardo appears to have been a scientist and inventor first, then artist, using his sharp powers of observation and reason to create both timeless works of art and as yet not fully deciphered messages for those not limited by traditional thinking.The more carefully his words, deeds, apparent opinions and interest are studied the more credence can be given to his seeking to preserve his thoughts and observations by unorthodox means.Leonardo left clues… He was credited with having said: the eye,” Who would believe that so small a space could contain the images of all the universe.” Leonardo believed that the perception by the eye; light, dark, shadow, and perspective held the secrets of the world. Hence, when you include Leonardo’s life long fascination with mirrors and writing backward it appears likely that he would choose to use constructs and concepts familiar and unique to him to transmit and yet hide from a restrictive and turbulent society, his most treasured messages.For hundreds of years scholars have continued to study Leonardo’s priceless works of art using the most cutting edge technologies available. In recent times millions of dollars have been allocated to perform all types of scientific studies seeking to determine if Leonardo hid anything underneath his finished works… all within the frame of his artworks. The plain and obvious truth is that he did hide things, however Leonardo was forced to work within the limitations and utilized the technologies of his day. His meanings are in plain sight but only for those able to think outside the box and frame. All of the writings and documents relating to Leonardo, point to his being deliberate and patient in everything he did, both in his creations and his art; so it would appear all but inconceivable that in his major and personally treasured works, that every detail would have been a deliberate act of thought, and not an inadvertent inclusion. A minor anomaly in a masterpiece might happen, though unlikely in multiple of masterpieces by such a perfectionist. Clearly recognizable, perfectly formed symmetrical symbols on both sides of his best masterpieces, utilizing mirrors, a technique Leonardo was well know to have used, make it being anything but intentional, all but impossibly, you be the judge.They welcome comments by all interested parties and will post appropriate comments.The da Vinci Project,Managing Director, DVP.Michael W. Domoretsky

Contact Information
The da Vinci Project Inc.Michael W. Domoretsky1-508-843-9902contact@lionardofromvinci.comhttp://www.lionadofromvinci.comArticle, da Vinci and the Secret of the “Mona Lisa”http://www.thothweb.com/article-4011–0-0.html

Chris says:

August 7, 2007 at 2:15 pm

Hi! It;s Chris Sherman from a view from the kitchen window. I haven’t been writing because my son Eric is back in the hospital. I just started blogging again now that we have a laptop. It’s not as easy to be funny these days but I’ll try.
It sounds like you are having a wonderful trip. Let’s be in touch when you get back. You can get my contact info through Jill. I don’t want to leave it here. Have fun.

allthethingsyouare says:

August 7, 2007 at 7:37 pm

Your pictures are stunning. I am glad you went to Siena. Isn’t Italy fantastic? I am regretting not going again this summer. I missed Lucca and Florence, so it was wonderful to see your pictures. Your recipes sound delicious. I may email you when I go again in November. We are planning Florence and Venice, and more of the towns we missed the first time around. It was still a wonderful trip, with trips through Tuscany and Umbria, Assisi and Spoleto, but I want more!

6 Responses to TBTAM Does Italy, Part 6 – Vinci and Lucca

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