Riccardo Magnani defends his Leonardo biography against criticism

Riccardo Magnani, an economist and author of "Milanese d'adozione. La vera storia di Leonardo da Vinci a Milano," responds to criticism from Thomas Villa published on Artribune. Villa questioned Magnani's conclusions about the circumstances and date of Leonardo's arrival at the court of Ludovico il Moro in Milan. Magnani defends his research, citing documentary evidence including a note by Benedetto Dei, and accuses Villa of superficial critique and ignoring sources like Vasari's "Lives," the Anonimo Gaddiano, and Antonio de Beatis's diary. He also references the work of historian Marco Versiero, whom he cites in his book, and criticizes Villa for omitting that Magnani involved the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze and the Uffizi before announcing his discovery. The debate centers on the interpretation of Leonardo's famous letter to Ludovico il Moro from the Codex Atlanticus, traditionally dated 1482, which Magnani suggests may date to 1483-1484.