The story of a family working tirelessly since 1960: three generations united under Leonardo's dream
The story of the Niccolai family begins a long time ago; in 1960 it was Carlo who courageously decided to transform his workshop, which made accessories for Italian haute fashion, into a true forge where manual mastery produced high-craftsmanship machines by Leonardo.
Niccolai Collection
Partly out of passion and partly to try a new adventure, Carlo began building a true collection of working machines by Leonardo da Vinci, model after model. The first and only ones in Italy.
After purchasing and carefully studying some pages of Leonardo's Codices - the famous Codex of Leonardo - he began recreating the designs on a larger scale, even life-size, becoming a carpenter and tackling the complex modeling of aged wood.
A valued contribution that also made it possible to reconstruct the incredible robot capable of playing the drum.
Carlo, however, did not give up, and thanks to the enterprising spirit of his son Gabriele, he became known in academic circles, actively collaborating with internationally renowned scholars such as Prof. Carlo Pedretti and Sara Taglialagamba.
Having created a true collection, now refined by the academic contributions of eminent scholars, Carlo and Gabriele simultaneously took the path of organizing cultural events linked to Leonardo's name.
They thus began to make a name for themselves in museums, institutions and private settings where there was a desire to own, even just for the duration of the event, a piece born from the Genius's mind.
Today the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Florence has collaborations and exhibitions in China, Korea, America and soon other countries as well.
From Carlo to Gabriele and his family, together with Laura, Lorenzo and Leonardo they represent the beating heart of Italy's private museum world.
Together with many young people who believe in the project, the Niccolai family proudly carries forward Leonardo da Vinci's identity alongside their own story of passion, history and intuition.
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