Vines of Vigevano and a Building Plan on a Canal
Red-chalk vineyard detail dated 20 March 1494, with a note on water speed where a channel narrows
The upper red-chalk sketch records a detail of the vineyard at Vigevano, with measurements in braccia and a note dated 20 March 1494 observing that the vines are buried over winter. Below, a plan of a building set on a watercourse accompanies the principle that where a water channel narrows its bed deepens and the current runs faster. The two studies pair practical viticulture with an early observation on flow through a constriction.
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Vineyard at Vigevano, vines buried for winter
A detail of the vines of Vigevano, given with the dimensions 1 1/2 braccia and 6 braccia and dated the 20th of March 1494. Leonardo notes that in the cold season the vines are buried, a real practice of winter protection.
A channel deepens and runs faster where it narrows
The note states that where the water's channel contracts, there its bed is deeper and the water flows more swiftly. It is a compact statement of the relation between cross-section, depth and current speed.
Plan of a building on the watercourse
The lower drawing is labelled a plan of a building, shown together with a wheel-like circular form and a horizontal cylindrical element. It is set in relation to the narrowing water channel of the accompanying note.