'Da Vinci Experience'

An engaging multimedia immersive exhibition exploring the genius of Leonardo

From 13 May 2017 to 08 October 2017

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From 13th May to 8th October, 2017, the deconsecrated Church of Santo Stefano al Ponte in Florence, a few steps from Ponte Vecchio, hosts an exhibition on Leonardo entitled 'Da Vinci Experience'. Designed by Art Media Studio in Florence it is absolutely one of a kind: among the Leonardo exhibitions currently open, it is with no doubt one of the most innovative and engaging. Not only will visitors be able to admire the works of Leonardo da Vinci but, thanks to the latest generation technological solutions, they will be completely immersed in them. Thanks to full HD digitalized images projected on large screens with video-mapping technology, 360° Dolby-surround soundtrack, the possibility to use 'oculus' (a virtual reality headset) and also thanks to cinema 10D, visitors will, as if in a video game, be exploring the fascinating mind of the Tuscan genius. If you find yourself with our family in Florence, this exhibition is the perfect event for you: both young children and little ones, at ease with tablets, smartphones and video games, will find in the Da Vinci exhibition all the expressions of their world.

The exhibition venue is housed inside the Church of Santo Stefano al Ponte in Florence, in the proximity of Ponte Vecchio. Built in 1100, after being deconsecrated, it was open again to the public in 2015 as a multifunctional auditorium where concerts but also many of Florence's most interesting events are taking place.

Crossmedia Group, the company currently managing the venue, is one of the leaders in the offering of modern strategies for the preparation of exhibitions, avant-garde multimedia applications and imaginative digital products. It was behind a series of highly-visited exhibitions, such as 'Van Gogh Alive', 'Da Vinci Alive', 'Body Worlds', 'Incredible Florence' and 'Klimt Experience', seen by an astonishing 80,000 people. Crossmedia Group have also patented the 'Matrix-X-Dimension' technology, a new multimedia platform which, for the first time, offers the tools to build a true 'immersive experience'.

The heart of the Santo Stefano al Ponte exhibition in Florence is represented by the 'immersive format' itself, which makes visitors feel enwrapped by an explosion of images, colours and sounds. Full HD videos will be projected on 9 giant screens, highlighting the eclecticism of the great Tuscan artist and multifaceted inventor who applied himself with equal ability to the art of painting and also science, anatomy and architecture. Some people have even compared him to an 'alien'. According to this imaginative hypothesis, a provenance from a more advanced world would be the only explanation for his futuristic inventions. One thing we are sure about, Leonardo would have surely enjoyed such an innovative and futuristic exhibition!

For sure, he would have been intrigued by video-mapping: this is a form of augmented reality that plays on the optical illusion between real and virtual surfaces projected in the videos. This alters and enhances our perception and makes the viewing of the famous female portraits and the sketches of engineering works even more intriguing.
We cannot talk about Leonardo’s Da Vinci works without mentioning the famous Leonardo Da Vinci machines. In fact, the 'Da Vinci Experience' exhibition includes a series of models – in size and scale - of the fantastic Leonardo’s machines reproduced by the Florence’s Bottega Artigina Martelli following the original sketches. Given the importance of Leonardo da Vinci flight imagination, his "wing" could not be left out: a 9 meters full size replica of Leondardo Da Vinci’s wing is suspended in the central nave of the former church. The model of Leonardo Da Vinci ala is juxtaposed to those of the airscrew, self-propelled boat and armoured car.

In addition, using Oculus headsets and Orwell’s Da Vinci VR Experience application, you will be able to try your hand at 3D virtual reality: you will step into Leonardo Da Vinci’s tank and interact with its mechanisms, steer the self-propelled boat and admire Florence’s cityscape on-board the airscrew and Leonardo’s ornithopter. No doubt young children and kids will be captivated by this kind of videogame, but we're sure that adults will be equally swept away by the fantastic world of virtual reality. But that’s not all. You can also have a go with the Magic Box of Effeci Group: a 6-seat cinema 10D where you will watch a funny cartoon on Leonardo. You will once again find yourself plunged into a fantastic multi-dimensional world that will become real for a short time through a succession of special effects including lights, sounds, motions, water, wind and even soap bubbles. The Leonardo Da Vinci Florence exhibition also includes a teaching area displaying the anastatic reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci’s codes and drawings made by Giunti Editore for the 'Leonardo Project'. To avoid long queues and save time, the exhibition tickets can be conveniently purchased on the official website: www.davinciexperience.it.

If you are planning a trip with your family to Florence, the exhibition 'Da Vinci Experience' at Santo Stefano a Ponte is definitely the perfect opportunity and a clever way to have fun and learn something new about the great Leonardo. Do not waste time, therefore, start planning and book one of our fantastic hotels in Florence, a wonderful city full of opportunities. If I was you, I would also spend some more time in Tuscany, our Excursions from Florence will allow you to visit this region in full comfort and piece. You can choose between a Daily excursion to Siena, San Gimignano and the Chianti area and a Daily excursion to Pisa and Lucca. Instead, just listen to us and book them both, you will not regret it! Tuscany is just like Leonardo: it will never cease to surprise you.