THE ORIGINS OF THE GENIUS The House where Leonardo was born is reopening to the public

Vinci, Anchiano 23 - 24 June 2012

Following extensive restoration work and reorganization of the exhibition layout, the house in Anchiano where Leonardo was born is reopening to the public, as the place which symbolizes the bonds Leonardo had with his home town.

Surrounded by the centuries-old olive trees of the Montalbano slopes, in a landscape almost untouched by time, the house where Leonardo was born on April 15 1452, the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci and one Caterina, is the destination of authentic cultural pilgrimages, undertaken by very large numbers of visitors each year, who are searching for the origins of the Genius.

As of June 23 2012, the house of da Vinci's birth will be opened again, following major restoration works, overseen by Professor Daniela Lamberini of the Department of Architecture of Florence University. The works further enhance the evocative, rustic simplicity of the place, respecting its historical vale and rediscovering some panoramic views hitherto hidden to the visitor. But above all, the work on Leonardo's house has produced a new museum display, curated by the management of the Leonardo Museum, which deploys the latest multimedia technology to offer a very "special" meeting with Leonardo and to present his paintings and drawings.

Whereas the Leonardo Museum, in the town of Vinci itself, documents the work of Leonardo the inventor, the technologist and the engineer and the Leonardo Library, also in the town centre, focuses on specialized documentation, the house of his birth is now the place for getting to know Leonardo the painter.

In the small room next to the ticket office, thanks to the cutting-edge technology perfected by the company from Milan, Haltadefinizione, it will be possible to see and interact with The Last Supper; using the same application, a reconstruction of the Battle of Anghiari will shortly be completed. And finally, the visitor will be able to appreciate Leonardo's famous paintings thanks to the Leonardo Touch application, designed by Centrica in Florence, which holds digital reproductions of Leonardo's works.

Nowadays, we know almost everything about Leonardo, yet his private life and the relationship he had with his hometown remain less well-known aspects. And so it will be Leonardo himself, here in Anchiano, who welcomes visitors into the most intimate and personal part of his world: a life-size hologram - created by Artmedia of Florence who have woven together film, theatre and documentary work - will lend its voice to an old and tired Leonardo who, from his final home in Amboise, looks back on the past and makes a virtual return to Anchiano to tell us of where he went and whom he met, what he studied and the events that kept this area close to his heart.

The Arno Valley, the Fucecchio Marshes, Vinci and the Montalbano hills are often depicted in Leonardo's maps and in his famous landscape drawings. The house in Anchiano, which is at the centre of a network of paths criss-crossing the Montalbano, is the ideal starting-point for excursions into the surrounding areas, on a quest to find the placesand thescenery which inspired the great Genius.

Renovation and restructuring were made possible thanks to co-financing from Tuscany regional administration and the contributions of the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze and Toscana Energia inauguration

Friday 22 June 2012, at 5.30 p.m.

Anchiano, House where Leonardo was born

special openings

Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June, the House will be open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Free entry for everyone

Shuttle bus service between Vinci - Anchiano

Buses will leave from Piazza Garibaldi and from the Pinetina di Doccia

The house where Leonardo was born can be reached both by car and by coach, but is also linked to the town of Vinci by the Green Route, a historic path about 3 km long which can be covered on foot.

Opening times and admission fees

Open daily 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (10 a.m. - 5 p.m. from November-February)

Admission: 2.00 Euros

Combination ticket: House in Anchiano + Leonardo Museum 8 Euros (full price)

For more information: www.museoleonardiano.it