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Abstract
In Europe, the commonly named “scientific revolution” reached its maximum
development in 17th century, with the complete overtaking of one of the most heavy
heritages of the classic age, the separation between theory and practice.
In this context, it is necessary to underline the connection between graphic description
and mechanics development: in the 16th century Tartaglia formerly bore witness to the
fundamental role of the drawing, on one side an instrument for evaluating and
developing projects, on the other a tool for modelling and studying physical
phenomena.
Galileo and his apprentices, protagonists of the subsequent development of the
theoretical studies, completed their written dissertations with very precise and clear
drawings, in comparison with the drawings in the older scientific texts.
The technical drawings of the 19th century are still far away, but it is interesting to find
drawings with technical value, in representing devices and machines, also in the
treatises of the 17th century scientists.
In this paper the attention is paid to padre Francesco Lana, a researcher of the half of
the 17th century, well known among the aeronautics precursors but also involved in
many other scientific activities.
The design of a flying ship has directly placed him at the source of the human flight,
thanks to the theoretical description of the aerostatics fundamentals. But in his work it
is possible to find many other topics: small devices with practical applications (clocks,
odometers), scientific devices (microscopes, telescopes, thermoscopes ...), calculus
procedures and observation of the natural sciences. Other interesting topics in the
communication field are suggestions for a ciphered writing, writing ways for blind
people, ways to communicate from a distance, discussions on some drawing aspects.
Briefly if it is possible to find in his works images and descriptions of objects developed
in the future, this paper contributes by way of images to deepen the knowledge about
this scientist and the technique of his age.
Keywords: history of technology, history of the technical drawing, Francesco Lana
Fig. 2. On the left, a picture of Francesco Lana; on the right, the tile pages of his major works
Maestra”. In 1671 he became a member of opposite images: in Fig. 3 on the left there
the London Royal Society. In 1686, is the pantometer, an instrument for
inspired by that society, he established the measuring the distances and the heights –
“Accademia dei Filesotici”: in the Acta of Kircher used it to measure the Vesuvio
this Italian society he collected the results crater – and on the right there are some
of numerous physical, electrical and imaginary creatures, fancifully depicted in
magnetic tests. In 1684-1686 he published different drawings from the olden ages.
the first two volumes of Magisterium
In the Lana’s works the imaginary aspects
naturae et artis; the third volume was
take a backseat, while his principal interests
published posthumous.
are the mechanics and the physics, based
on mathematical analysis and experimental
validations, in order to obtain practical
2. LANA AND THE SCIENCE knowledge and useful devices. It is
OF THE 17TH CENTURY reductive to linger on this aspects since the
Lana’s work, a very ample treatise about
the physics and the mathematics sciences,
The period spent in Rome contributes to his
conforms to the culture of his age and to
growth not only spiritual but also scientific.
the polemic – typical among the Jesuits [5]
At that time the science was in progress,
– against Galileo and his mechanics vision.
with some innovative aspects, but also with
It is important to remind that the
relapses into the imaginary tradition (see
Magisterium had to collect in an
the work of the Lana’s master Athanasius
encyclopaedic work in 9 volumes (he had
Kircher and his almost contemporary
the time to write only 3 volumes before his
Kaspar Schott, two members of the Society
death), the results of the twenty-year
of Jesus).
experimental research and to completely
In fact it is significant to find in the Schott’s arrange his knowledge, characterized by a
works a Magia universalis naturae et artis, rational and organic harmony between
together with a Mechanica Hydraulico- theoretical science and practical science,
Pneumatica and a Technica curiosa, where the Arte Maestra, using Lana’s definition.
he describes, besides some experiments [6]
on vacuum and on air pressure, spectacular
Because of the work dimension, Lana
baroque fountains, futuristic boats, diving
decided, 15 years before the first volume, to
suits for the exploration of the sea depths,
publish the Prodromo, a partial anticipation
also devices for the perpetual motion,
of the practical contents of the major work.
strange mechanisms measuring the time,
Since this volume was written in Italian, it
mysteries hidden into the Jewish alphabet.
was addressed to a limited public, while the
Magisterium was written in Latin and
The common features of this primordial
addressed to a public composed by
science are the curiosity, the desire for the
international scientists: this goal was
knowledge growth, the research of the
reached, if one considers that the first
prodigious and the imaginary aspects of the
volumes were at once positively reviewed in
world, as it is possible to observe in two
Fig. 3. On the left, the Kircher’s pantometer, on the right an image from the Scott’s Physica Curiosa
France and Germany. to destroy entire towns.
The analysis of the contents has to be Other inventions described in the Prodromo
performed by the science historians, while are noteworthy, intentionally neglecting the
this paper only shows and describes some study on perpetual motion, the research of the
devices and machines by way of Lana’s philosopher’s stone and the research of a
drawings. universal medicament (topics frequently
discussed in scientific treatises not only in that
age but also in the previous and in the
following centuries). This paper doesn’t touch
3. MACHINES AND INSTRU- on either the communication aspects of the
Lana’s research, such as the way to cipher a
MENTS writing, the way to communicate from a
distance, the language for the deaf-mutes, the
In the Prodromo, the author shows some way to teach the blind people to write and to
inventions and practical applications: it is odd read (two centuries before Braille).
to find, after 23 chapters about various topics In Fig. 5 it is possible to see a device making
and 8 chapters about optical devices, 4 continuous the functioning of a sandglass.
chapters about the painting and drawing art. Lana writes that the sandglass has a big
The 6th chapter, where Lana talks about the disadvantage: very often the researchers,
manufacturing of a ship able to walk involved in the study, don’t notice that the
suspended in air, has made him famous and sand is finished and don’t turn it in time or in
contains the famous image present in many another way they have to spend a lot of time
publications about the human flight. to control the sandglass. The suggested
In the original image, it is possible to see not solution is the following: the sandglass, linked
only the ship suspended by four hollow to a shaft, can be moved around the shaft
spheres (the vacuum into the spheres makes axis by two weights. A friction catch on the top
them lighter than the air and allows them to side with the task to prevent the rotation is
glide, in accord with the Archimede’s maintained in position by way of a
principle) but also the procedure to obtain the counterbalance calibrated in such a way as to
vacuum into the spheres. (Fig. 4) be null when all the sand is in the bottom
chamber of the sandglass. At this moment the
With the point of view of an engineer, he rotation turns upside down the sandglass
develops calculations to evaluate the required lower part and the sandglass is locked by the
suspending force and doesn’t neglect the counterbalance, and so on. A gear coaxial
objections that the other scientist will rise with the shaft shows the revolution number,
about the possible crushing of the empty i.e. the passed time.
spheres by the atmospheric pressure. He is
also worried about the possibility to transform The Fig. 6 shows a kind of hygrometer where
his flying boat in a terrible mass weapon, able the fluctuations in length of the horizontal
4. FINAL REMARKS
Is it possible to place these remarks in the
history of the technical drawing?
The definition of “technical drawing” is not
very clear. [8]
Fig. 10. spring cannon If “technical drawing” is the portrayal
The Magisterium obviously expands the addressed to the documentation, the
Prodromo and adds ample theoretical drawing itself can concern the design, the
discussions and numerous practical information and can support the scientific
applications with drawings, with an knowledge and inquiry.
impressive variety in the contents. In this case it is possible to place in
Some inventions are quite curious, such as “technical drawing” class the pictures often
the spring cannon in Fig. 10, used in a agreeable but not very functional and the
similar version until the 1st World War. following codifications, produced by the
Notice in the right bottom the idea to use a need to have a clear and fast
telescope such as a foresight for firearms. communication in developing the industrial
products (presumably the stages of the way
covered today in using the new
communication methods).
The discussion could be concern the term
“drawing”, on one side the portrayal of
something existing and to be depicted, on
the other the portrayal of something existing
only in the designer mind: on one side on
objective paper, that everyone can made
observing the object, on the other side a
subjective object indissolubly linked to his
inventor.
If the drawing is defined “technical”, it
acquires the following meaning: a portrayal
on a 2-dimensional plane of objects to be
Fig. 11. manual blade wheels manufactured or already manufactured.
Fig. 12 shows manual boat engine, Fig. 13 It should be possible to distinguish between
shows an adjusting device for clocks (with “History of the machine Drawing” and
reference to the Huygens work). “History of the Technical Drawing”.
The History of the Mechanical Drawing is
related to the portrayal of the design, to the
Fig. 13. Two pages of the Magisterium Naturae et Artis
functioning of the machines and
mechanisms; the History of the Technical REFERENCES
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In the History of the Machine Drawings the Paris, 1964
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structures and details with the goal to clarify inizio ‘500 nelle opere di Niccolò Tartaglia”,
the ability, the functioning, the innovative Actas XX Congreso Internacional
value of the depicted objects, but always INGEGRAF, (Valencia, 4-6 Jun. 2008)
with respect to the specific age. [3] E. Chirone, D. Cambiaghi, “Meccanica
The History of the Technical Drawing e Macchine nella rappresentazione grafica
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aspects and following the evolution of INGEGRAPH (Perugia, 6-8 giugno 2007)
methods, techniques, instruments and [4] Francesco Lana Terzi S.J, “Scritti
drawing rules. scientifici”, originali riprodotti su CD a cura
di P. Pizzamiglio, Biblioteca di Storia delle
This introduction to the Lana’s drawings Scienze “Carlo Viganò”, Brescia, 1999
can be placed in the History of the Machine [5] U. Baldini, “L’attività scientifica nel
Drawing but it should be possible to review primo Settecento”, in “Scienza e Tecnica,
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[6] P.Pizzamiglio, ”Il “Magisterium Naturae
et Artis” tra autore e lettori”, Atti del
Convegno “Francesco Lana Terzi (1631-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1687): la scuola gesuitica e la scienza
moderna” (Brescia, 8 ottobre 1987)
We address our special thanks to Prof. [7] P.Mues Ort , “El Arte Maestra:
Pierluigi Pizzamiglio, the Director of traduccion novohispana de un tratado
Biblioteca di Storia delle Scienze “Carlo pitorico italiano”, in “Estudios en torno al
Viganò” (Università Cattolica di Brescia), arte”, 1, 2006, Museo de la Basilica de
who has made available the material and Guadalupe, Mexico
has supported the paper drafting. [8] W.Lefevre, ed., “Picturing Machines,
1400-1700”, M.I.T., 2004