Milan - Italy

"Leonardo da Vinci" Science and Technology Museum

Created in 1953, the Museum of Science and Technology houses the biggest collection of scientific and technological artifacts in Italy, and it holds the largest exhibition space in the world that is devoted to models built based purely on Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches.In the halls of an old convent, the Museum of Science and Technology is a place of learning that uses displays and interactive activities to describe and teach all about the development of technology in Italian and European history – you can visit the chemistry labs, participate in energy experiments, discover new facts about light and electricity, robotics, genetics and so on. This museum is held in the halls of the "Monastery of San Vittore al Corpo," a church not far from where it is said that Leonardo da Vinci himself owned small plots of land.The old convent was a military hospital during Napoleon’s years in Italy, and it was later used as military barracks. The convent was greatly damaged during a series of bombings in 1943 and the structure was later renovated to become a museum, following the designs of the Italian architect Piero Portaluppi.Today it is a museum that covers over 50,000 square meters and more than half of that is devoted to the scientific and technological discoveries of the past centuries, with 13 interactive labs and 15 thematic exhibitions. The museum also hosts a vast selection of other activities, like temporary art shows, events and conferences, becoming a great cultural hub for travelers from all over the world as well as for the locals of Milan.