This manuscript is almost 500 years old and was handwritten by Leonardo da Vinci in his characteristic mirror writing and supported by copious sketches. It covers a wide range of his observations and theories on astronomy, the properties of water, rocks and fossils, air and celestial light.
Carlo Pedretti (6 January 1928 – 5 January 2018) was an Italian art historian.
In his lifetime, he was considered one of the world's leading experts on the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci. He was a professor of art history and Armand Hammer Chair in Leonardo Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1960 until his retirement in 1993.