Measurement of time and witness to incredible developments in technology, the clock also chronicles the evolution of societies and taste, as well as being a treasure trove of symbols and unique craftsmanship. Milan, which has always placed particular importance on time, invites you to discover the history of an accessory that, between art and technology, always arouses considerable allure and curiosity. Among the many extraordinary museums to visit in Milan, there are some where you can take a fascinating journey through cogs, movements and hands.
The Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology
One of the most fascinating places to visit in Milan is without doubt the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology, one of the leading technical-scientific museums in Europe.
Its collections and intense educational activity make it a place capable of intercepting very different audiences, of sharing its knowledge in an original way, and of winning over the younger generations in particular. The museum has the world's largest collection of models of machines made from Leonardo da Vinci's plans and drawings and is among the interactive museums in Milan not to be missed. Losing yourself among the different thematic areas, and particularly in the section dedicated to clock making, is an experience that we can't recommend highly enough.
The museum houses a very rich collection of clocks, ranging from sundials to automatics, from digital to tourbillons. This extraordinary collection originated thanks to donations from the Pinardi and Parisi collections in 1954 and 1957, joined in 1967 by the Mingozzi collection, the collection donated by the Binda company of Milan, and further contributions from dozens of public and private entities, including institutions, craftsmen, professionals and collectors.
The reconstruction of the workshop of an 18th century watchmaker from Trentino, Bartolomeo Antonio Bertolla, is definitely worth a visit. Acquired in 1959 and faithfully reconstructed in the museum, the workshop recreates a truly magical atmosphere, amidst precision instruments and the scent of wood.
Housed in the former monastery of San Vittore al Corpo, the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology is also home to a masterpiece of medieval clock-making: the reconstruction of Giovanni Dondi's Astrarium (1318-1388), made by the Milanese clockmaker Luigi Pippa and completed in 1963.
An instrument made up of nine dials, seven at the top and two at the bottom, designed to tell the position of the celestial bodies, the time, and the annual calendar. The hour dial is located in the lower part and shows the hours, subdivided into 24. The mechanical clock is the heart of the Astrarium and this extraordinary machine works thanks to cogs set in motion by the dropping of a weight tied to a rope.
Poldi Pezzoli Museum: a timeless wonder
As you step over the threshold of the Clock Room, it is impossible not to be speechless. We are at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, just a short walk from Milan Cathedral and Teatro alla Scala. Created in 1881 by Milanese aristocrat Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli, it is an enchanting place that holds a collection of great masterpieces including paintings, sculptures and other priceless works. They are divided into various collections ranging from archaeology to the 19th century, set against the backdrop of a splendid historical building.
One room is entirely dedicated to the clock: here visitors can admire masterpieces of art and ingenuity such as, for example, the Automaton Clock in the form of a Chariot (1610) depicting the chariot of Diana on a gilded throne. This is a table automaton that can move: the clock mechanism also makes the eyes of the goddess of hunting come alive. A surprising piece, not least for the beauty of the workmanship.
And what about luminous and audible alarm clocks, like the Table Clock
(Joseph Sich, 18th century) in the shape of a box with a candle which, thanks to a device powered by pyrotechnic powder, would light up and stand upright to illuminate the room at the desired time.
The collection of the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan has nothing to envy those of specialised museums around the world: clocks, diptych, equinoctial, or magnetic sundials, clocks in the shape of musical instruments (zither, harp, mandolin), pocket models with automatons and chimes, carriage clocks, personal timepieces, pocket watches or pendant watches, as well as the clock in a in a snuffbox and the Calvary clock.
A visit to the watch collection of the Poldi Pezzoli Museum and the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology is a journey through time that allows visitors to admire the evolution of design and technology applied to watches, masterpieces of precision that tell of the passion and determination of watchmaking in its desire to always perform better in order to reach ever higher levels of perfection.
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