The stepped cascade of the Sforzesca
Water descending 25 steps at the Sforza estate, drawn 2 February 1494
Red-chalk drawings show the stepped cascade (scala) of the Sforzesca, where water descends a flight of steps. A dated memorandum records that on 2 February 1494 Leonardo drew there 25 steps, each of two-thirds of a braccio and 8 braccia wide, noting beside the falls that 'the more it falls, the more it bounces'. A second note, marked '4 braccia — gravel', states that the water's greatest depth lies between the point of impact and the bubbling that results from it.
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The stepped cascade (scala) of the Sforzesca
The falls are drawn as a flight of 25 steps, each two-thirds of a braccio high and 8 braccia wide. Beside them Leonardo notes the impact behaviour of the falling water: the more it falls, the more it bounces.
Greatest depth of water between impact and bubbling
Marked '4 braccia — gravel', the note states that the water's greatest depth will be found between the point of percussion and the bubbling (bollori) that results from it.
Dated record: the Sforzesca, 2 February 1494
Leonardo dates the observation precisely to the 2nd of February 1494 at the Sforzesca, recording that he drew the 25 steps there himself.