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Paris Manuscript F — 159

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Bibliothèque de l'Institut de France, Paris

Del canale di Martigiana.

Facendo il canale di Martigiana e' si diminuisce l'acqua all'Adda, la qual è destribuita in molti paesi al servizio de' prati. Ecci un rimedio e questo è di fare molti fontanili, che quell'acqua che è beuta dalla terra, non fa servizio a nessuno, né ancora danno, perché a nessuno è tolta, e facendo tali fontanili l'acqua che prima era perduta, ritorna di novo a rifare servizio e utile alli omini. E dove prima tali canali non eran condotti, non si potea ne' paesi più bassi fare essi fontanili. Adunque diren che se tali canali son fatti in Martigiana, che la medesima acqua beuta dal fondo de' prati sarà rimessa di novo sopra altri prati mediante tali fontanili; la quale acqua prima era perduta. E se l'acqua mancherà in Giara d'Adda1 e nella Muzza2, e paesani potran fare de' fontanili, veduto che una medesima acqua beuta da' prati più volte riserve a tale uffizio.

Of the Martesana canal

Of the canal of Martesana.

In making the Martesana canal, the water of the Adda is diminished, which is distributed among many districts for the service of the meadows. There is a remedy, and this is to make many springs (fontanili); for the water that is drunk by the earth serves no one, nor yet does harm, because it is taken from no one; and by making such springs, the water that before was lost returns anew to render service and profit to men. And where before such canals were not conducted, one could not make such springs in the lower-lying districts. Therefore we shall say that if such canals are made in the Martesana, the same water drunk by the bottom of the meadows will be put anew upon other meadows by means of such springs -- water that before was lost. And if the water should fail in the Ghiara d'Adda and in the Muzza, the country folk will be able to make springs, seeing that one same water, drunk by the meadows many times, serves again for that office.

The Martesana Canal and Recovering Water through Springs

Fontanili to reuse water drawn from the Adda for the meadows

Hydraulics Civil Engineering

A text-only page headed 'Of the Martesana canal.' Leonardo notes that cutting the Martesana draws water from the Adda, which feeds the meadows of many districts, and proposes digging many fontanili (springs) to recover water that the ground has absorbed. Because such absorbed water harms no one and is taken from no one, the springs return it to service on lower-lying meadows, so that one same water, drunk repeatedly by the fields, keeps serving. He notes the springs become possible only where the canals have first been conducted, and names the Ghiara d'Adda and the Muzza.

On this page

The Martesana draws off the Adda, but absorbed water can be recovered

Cutting the Martesana canal diminishes the water of the Adda, which is distributed among many districts to serve the meadows. The remedy is to make many fontanili (springs): the water drunk by the earth serves no one and harms no one, so springs return this otherwise-lost water to fresh use and profit. Where the canals had not previously reached, such springs could not be made in the lower districts.

One water used many times over the meadows of the Ghiara d'Adda and Muzza

Where the canals are made in the Martesana, the same water drunk by the bottom of the meadows is raised again onto other meadows by means of the springs. Should the water fail in the Ghiara d'Adda and the Muzza, the country folk can dig fontanili, since one same water, drunk many times by the fields, serves the same office again.

Reader's Edition — described with AI from the e-Leo transcription.