Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester is the most expensive book. Codex Leonardo da Vinci Windsor Codex Leonardo da Vinci

The Hammer Codex, better known as the Codex Leicester, holds the Guinness World Record for the most expensive book in the world after it was purchased by Bill Gates in 1994 for $30.8 million. This book is a collection of writings and drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, which were created by him in Milan between 1504 and 1508.

The Codex Leicester was named after the Earl of Leicester, who purchased the manuscript in 1717. In 1980, the notebook was bought from Lester's heirs by Soviet friend Armand Hammer, after whom it was briefly called the Codex Hammer. After his death in 1994, the codex was put up for auction, during which it was purchased by Microsoft founder Bill Gates for $30.8 million. On his initiative, the Leicester Codex is exhibited in various museums around the world, and since 2003 it has been shown at the Seattle Art Museum.

The Leicester Codex is the most famous manuscript of Leonardo da Vinci, and in total about 30 of them were created by the brilliant artist, engineer, inventor and thinker. The contents of the book are notes, sketches and sketches of scientific research. Leonardo's notes are written in his own "mirror" font - they can only be read with the help of a mirror. The Code is written on 18 sheets of paper, which, when folded in half, form a 72-page document.

In addition, illustrations for the Codex were drawings by da Vinci, which clearly demonstrate the inextricable connection between science, art and creativity as applied to the scientific process. The Codex consists of random entries in which Leonardo outlines the essence of his thoughts and observations. The topics of the entries are varied - astronomy, properties of air, rocks, water and much more. Leonardo, already in the 16th century, was trying to understand why fossils could be found on mountains, and the theory of plate tectonics, which explains this phenomenon, appeared only several centuries later.

Based on his observations, Leonardo recommended what needs to be taken into account during the construction of bridges and how soil erosion can be dealt with. A significant part of the book is devoted to the study of the Moon. The Italian explained its glow in that part of the crescent that remains dark by light reflected from the Earth's surface, and only a hundred years later the German Johannes Kepler proved the existence of planetary brilliance. Leonardo also expressed several more bold hypotheses, which were later confirmed by other scientists.

In this article we have posted the original pages of the Leicester Codex, which can be found in the public domain at hammercodex.com. To read the entire book, you need to subscribe for $10.

Leicester Code - a notebook of scientific notes made by Leonardo da Vinci in Milan in the years 1506-1510. The manuscript consists of 18 sheets of paper, written on both sides and forming a 72-page notebook. Leonardo's notes are written in his own "mirror" font - they can only be read with the help of a mirror. The entries are devoted to various phenomena whose nature Leonardo pondered: why the Moon glows, how and why water flows in rivers, where fossils come from, what minerals are made of, and so on. The notebook also contains a large number of mathematical calculations, diagrams and drawings. The Codex Leicester was named after the Earl of Leicester, who purchased the manuscript in 1717. In 1980, the notebook was bought from Lester's heirs by friend of the Soviets Armand Hammer, in whose honor it was called the "Hammer Codex" for a short period. After his death in 1994, the codex was put up for auction, during which it was purchased by Microsoft founder Bill Gates for $30.8 million. On his initiative, the Leicester Codex is exhibited in various museums around the world, and since 2003 it has been shown at the Seattle Art Museum.
Leonardo da Vinci. Leicester Code.
Entries in the Leicester Code were made over a period of 4 years, starting in 1506. On the pages of a notebook, a natural scientist from the Italian town of Vinci personally described many experiments, observations and studies carried out with water, minerals, air and celestial bodies. The artist and educator collected these descriptions throughout his life and published them in the form of a treatise on the structure and order of the world. In it, Leonardo da Vinci explains how and why certain natural processes arise and occur. The book outlines Leonardo's detailed thoughts: why light comes from the Moon, how and why water moves in rivers, how fossils are formed, what minerals are made of, and much more. The manuscripts are accompanied by the author's illustrations, diagrams and mathematical calculations, with the help of which Leonardo clearly confirms the logic of his explanations.
Each chapter in the Code begins with an appeal to descendants and a convincing explanation that the world is a single “living organism.” In Leonardo's view: air is the “soul” of the planet, the surface of the earth is its “body”, and water is its “blood”. This work received the name “Leicester” after the surname of an old English count’s family, who acquired this notebook with notes in 1717 and was its custodian for a long time.

In 1980, the Codex changed its storage location: It was purchased from Lester descendants and was owned by oil magnate and rarities collector Armand Hammer. Having changed its “owner,” the book was at one time even called “The Hammer Code.” After the death of the oil industrialist, in 1994 the priceless manuscript was sold at auction to Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Then the notebook with Leonardo’s manuscripts was valued at $30,800,000, which at the current exchange rate is $44,600,000. Currently, “Treatise on Water, Earth and Celestial Bodies” can be seen in the largest museums in the world, where its current owner lends it for exhibitions.
When Leonardo wrote down his observations and thoughts about the world around him in sepia in this notebook, he had no idea about any Leicester Code. Or did he? Be that as it may, the author himself called his work “ Treatise on water, earth and celestial bodies" On eighteen sheets of paper with linen trim, folded in such a way that it turned out to be seventy-two pages, Leonardo da Vinci wrote down in 1506-1510 his comments on natural phenomena, observations, and mathematical formulas. Leonardo lived and worked at this time in Milan. The work of the great scientist was called the “Leicester Codex” two centuries later in 1717, when the notebook was acquired by the English Leicester family. In 1980, the notebook was bought from Lester's heirs by friend of the Soviets Armand Hammer, in whose honor it was called the "Hammer Codex" for a short period. After his death in 1994, the codex was put up at auction by his heirs, during which it was purchased for $30.8 million.

In the Codex you can read about such things as the origin of fossils, the glow of the moon, the movement of water. If you can read it. Leonardo, a great lover of intriguing his descendants, made his notes using the mirror method. That is: you can read what is written in the “Leicester Code” only with the help of a mirror, looking at the reflection of the text. “Treatise on Water, Earth and Heavenly Affairs” by the great Italian artist and educator Leonardo da Vinci represents scientific notes and all kinds of mathematical calculations. The artist and scientist commented on natural phenomena in it. He did not ignore the technical component of the development of civilization. Bill Gates annually provides the Leicester Codex for exhibitions in the world's major museums.

The Codex Leicester is the most expensive book in the world. In 1994, it was purchased by Bill Gates for $30,800,000.

Leicester Code - 30 million 800 thousand dollars

Why is this book so valuable? The fact is that this is the only manuscript of Leonardo da Vinci that has survived to this day. It was written in 1506-1510 in Milan and is dedicated to explaining various natural phenomena using many mathematical calculations, drawings and explanations for them. The scientist himself called it “A Treatise on Water, Earth and Heavenly Affairs.” The book is a notebook consisting of 18 sheets, which are filled in on both sides. A total of 72 pages are formed.

The most expensive book in the world was named after the British Earl of Luster, who bought it in 1717. That’s what it was called until 1980, when the work was acquired by Armand Hammer and for 14 years the book bore the unofficial name “Codex Hammer”. In 1994, after Hammer's death, the notebook was put up for sale at Christie's, during which Bill Gates bought it.

The work is also unique in that the text is written in the so-called “mirror” font, which Leonardo himself invented. Such text must be read using a mirror.

So a few photos of the Leicester Codex:

On sheet 5B, Leonardo da Vinci analyzes the riverbank for the possibility of erosion and shows several reasons for its occurrence.

On page 7B, Leonardo notes that light travels in all directions. He came to this conclusion based on the properties of light and the static position of the observer. In addition, on this page he argues against the theory of the time that the surface of the Moon is polished like a mirror.

Leonardo devotes sheet 9A to the practical application of hydraulics, in particular in driving piles and building dams. Talks about how to tilt a dam so that it is not susceptible to erosion.

Page 14B is one of the most detailed pages in the entire book. On it, a scientist talks about the types of waves that are formed after objects fall into static water, and their interaction with each other. First, it shows how circular waves start at the center of a round vessel and "travel" from edge to edge. Secondly, the famous Italian demonstrates how two waves pass through each other without disturbing their structure. It also describes how a wave collides with an edge and is reflected from it. All conclusions were made by scientists after testing in natural and artificial conditions.

On page 7A of the most expensive book in the world, Leonardo da Vinci continues his exploration of water.

The most expensive book in history was written by Leonardo di Ser Piero da Vinci, an Italian painter, architect, sculptor and scientist. While in Milan, he worked for 4 years on a book he called “Treatise on Water, Earth and Heavenly Affairs.” From 1506 to 1510, Leonardo da Vinci wrote down his observations, conclusions and logical conclusions, not forgetting to accompany everything with illustrations, diagrams, mathematical calculations and drawings.

The result of the painstaking work was 18 sheets of paper written on both sides in a “mirror” font, which were collected into a 72-page book. Leonardo da Vinci loved to use the “mirror writing” technique, which he himself invented, so the Codex of Leicester can only be read in the reflection of a mirror.

In the book you can read Leonardo's discussions on the following topics: why the Moon glows, where fossils come from on earth, why and how water flows in river beds, and the like. There was only one thing that remained constant: in each new chapter of the Codex, da Vinci addressed his descendants with a convincing explanation that the world is a single “living organism.” Leonardo imagined that the air is the “soul of the planet,” the rivers are the “blood,” and the surface of the earth is the “body.”

The “Treatise” received its name “Leicester Codex” after the surname of an ancient count family from England, which acquired this unique work in 1717 and was its custodian and owner for a long time.

In 1980, the book was bought from the Lester descendants by oil tycoon and antiques collector Armad Hammer. The book was even briefly renamed The Hammer Code.

After the death of the oil tycoon, the book was put up for auction in 1994, where it was bought by Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft). The Lestres Codex was purchased for a record high price - $30.8 million; in terms of January 2015 exchange rates, this figure is $44.6 million.

However, even as the owner of the rarity, Bill Gates does not hide the “Treatise on Water, Earth and Heavenly Affairs”; he kindly provides the book to various museums around the world for exhibitions, where anyone can see it.

Everything connected with the name of the great Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci has always aroused great interest in society. For example, one of his notebooks with notes - the so-called Leicester Codex - was sold at Christie's auction for $30.8 million in 1994. Leonardo's notebook was purchased by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Leonardo's paintings and drawings are considered not only masterpieces of fine art, but also an excellent investment. Even a piece of paper with the handwritten notes of a Renaissance genius can be bought and sold at a fantastic price.

What can we say about the artist’s notebooks, in which he wrote down his thoughts on a variety of occasions, accompanying his reflections with drawings and mathematical calculations! So in the ranking of auction prices, Leonardo’s name comes first.

Seditious anatomy
Leonardo da Vinci was not only a talented artist. His mind was keenly interested in all branches of human knowledge. In those days, the only science that attracted artists was anatomy. And it’s clear why: she helped painters correctly depict the human body. But most artists limited themselves to a short excursion into the “subcutaneous” structure of a person. They still relied more on their own vision and painted their characters from customers or sitters.

Leonardo studied the interaction of bones and muscles so carefully and painstakingly that he left us drawings that can be called anatomical atlases. He even explored something that would hardly have helped him in painting - the stages of fetal development inside the uterus. To do this, he opened up more than one pregnant woman (of course, a dead one).

He viewed the work of muscles and bones more like an engineer and even carried out measurements and mathematical calculations. In a word, for the great Florentine, a person was the same mechanism as a drawbridge or a ballista. Looking at how an athlete lifts weights, he thought not about the beauty of the movement itself, but about how perfectly the system of levers inside the human body works, and developed artificial mechanisms that could repeat the creation of nature.

Animals, birds, insects, the flow of water in rivers and streams, the movement of clouds in the sky aroused in him not only aesthetic pleasure, but also a desire to penetrate beyond the visible, to understand how it all works. For the time in which Leonardo lived, such a state of mind was considered seditious.

It is not surprising that the artist had to hide his thoughts - even the usual dissection of the dead was then considered sedition, for which one could go to the stake. Leonardo wrote down his thoughts, but tried to make them inaccessible to a random person who inadvertently looked into his notebooks.

He used the method of mirror writing and brought it to complete automation. To the ignorant, his notes seemed unreadable. True, they were almost always supplemented with drawings, and an attentive reader could easily figure out what secrets were hidden in the text, but he would not have been able to find out the secrets themselves without deciphering them.

"Treatise on Water, Earth and Heavenly Bodies"

For several years, from 1506 to 1510, Leonardo was absorbed in studying the nature of water, air, minerals and celestial bodies. Reflections on this topic formed the so-called Leicester Code - a lot of encrypted notes and drawings on 18 large sheets, written on both sides and folded so that a notebook of 72 pages was formed.

The genius called his notes: “Treatise on water, earth and heavenly affairs.” A person knowledgeable in encryption could read in this treatise Leonardo's thoughts about the structure of the world and get answers to questions about why water moves in rivers, what the strange fossils mean that are found in limestone deposits along their banks, and how these fossils were formed, why the Moon does not shine as bright as the Sun, and if the Moon itself does not emit light, where does its glow come from, what is the role of air in the structure of the human world and how the human body corresponds to the ideal proportions inherent in nature.

Of course, Leonardo's explanations correspond to the scientific criteria of that time: the artist calls air the soul of the world, the earth the body of the world, and water its blood. The world, nature, in his opinion, is a huge living mechanism in which everything is interconnected and purposeful.

The body of nature must be nourished by the life-giving juices that water gives, and the air allows this body to breathe and live. And the work of nature, like the work of other mechanisms, can be improved. Therefore, on the pages of his notebook, Leonardo develops improvements that are useful for the world order - the arrangement of artificial canals, the construction of bridges, dams and locks, that is, the use of engineering structures.

The scientist’s reasoning, despite the medieval terminology, is based on many experiments that he conducted with water and air, and these experiments are also described in detail by him.

Leonardo's observations led him to the conclusion that the mountain ranges were formerly the bed of seas, as evidenced by the fossilized remains of marine life, and then the earth rose, carrying these fossils to great heights. He associated the strength of water flows and water pressure with the height of the steep slope from which the water descends, and made notes on how to build bridges, taking into account the movement of water and traces of erosion on coastal stones.

True, thinking about the nature of moonlight, Leonardo made a mistake that was quite understandable for his time: if the Earth is cut through by rivers and covered with seas and oceans, he thought, then the Moon should have a similar structure. The moon is also covered with water, which is why it glows - after all, sunlight is reflected not from dry earth, but from the water surface. However, waves move along this water surface, which is why the Moon shines much weaker than the Sun.

He also noticed that the dark part of the lunar disk has a faint glow, and a century before Kepler, he decided that this phenomenon is explained by the fact that the dark part of the disk receives reflected light, but not from the Sun, but from the Earth.

The fate of the manuscript
Leonardo died in 1519. “Treatise on Water, Earth and Heavenly Affairs” was inherited by Francesco Melzi, then it went to Michelangelo’s student Giovanni della Porta, and from him it came to the Roman artist Giuseppe Ghezzi. In 1717, the manuscript was bought by Thomas Cock, Earl of Leicester, and from then on, almost to the present day, Leonardo’s notebook was owned by the count’s heirs. It was thanks to the eminent owners that the treatise became known as the Leicester Code.

However, in 1980, the treatise was put up at auction and sold to the famous millionaire and art connoisseur Armand Hammer for $5.1 million. Over the course of more than 400 years, the manuscript has become very dilapidated. Hammer immediately hired a specialist in the restoration of ancient manuscripts, Carlo Pedretti, to restore the codex to its original form. In addition, Hammer wanted to have a complete translation of the treatise into English.

Dr. Pedretti devoted the next seven years to this complex work, and by 1987 Leonardo's work had been restored and supplied
translation. Three years later, the new owner of the manuscript died, and the Codex Leicester soon went up for auction again. It was there that he was sold to Bill Gates.

Gates immediately scanned the manuscript and converted it into electronic form. Since then, both the text and drawings from Leonardo’s notebook have become available to any Internet user. With the help of Bill Gates, the drawings made by the great artist turned into screen savers and desktop wallpapers.

Moreover, Windows installation disks came with a set of images of the scanned code. And to popularize Leonardo’s creations, Bill Gates organized wide displays of the Codex Leicester in major museums.

The code demonstration takes place once a year in one of the cities around the world. The first exhibition took place in 2000 in Sydney, Australia. The Codex has visited France (Chateau de Chambord), Japan (Tokyo), Ireland (Dublin), and is also shown every year at exhibitions dedicated to the genius of Leonardo in the United States itself.

True, Bill Gates prefers to show not the precious manuscript, but its electronic copies - this is safer for the manuscript, which is harmful to daylight, crowds of tourists and the attacks of robbers who dream of getting the most expensive book in the world.