The International Laboratory for the History of Science (ILabHS) is a joint endeavour of the Dibner Institute (Cambridge, Mass.), the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza (Florence), the Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte (Berlin), the University of Athens and the Tel Aviv University.
Previous venues of the ILabHS have been organised by the Dibner Institute (1998), the Max-Planck-Institut (1999) and the Tel Aviv University (2000).

The fourth edition of the ILabHS has been organised by the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence and Vinci from May 24 to June 1, 2001.

The fourth ILabHS was devoted to Art, science and techniques of drafting in the Renaissance. It was articulated in three sessions, which are listed below:

1. Brunelleschi's perspectival experiments and the historical development of drafting instruments
   This session was coordinated by Prof. Filippo Camerota, University of Venice.
2. Masaccio's Trinity: looking again and again
   This session, organised on the occasion of the sixth centennial anniversary of Masaccio's birth, was coordinated by Prof. Martin Kemp, Oxford University.
3. The theory and practice of vision in Leonardo and his followers
   This session was held in Vinci (Leonardo da Vinci's birthplace). It was coordinated by Prof. Carlo Pedretti, Emeritus UCLA.

A group of distinguished scholars attending the Laboratory opened the discussion and presented hands-on experiments and papers on specific topics.

A group of international students have been selected among those who applied to take part in the Laboratory.

During each of the three sessions repetitions of historical experiments (with appropriate instrumentation) and participative exploration of crucial practical and technical operations accompanied formal presentations and discussions.

For questions and information, please contact:
Laura MANETTI
Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza
Piazza dei Giudici 1, 50122 Firenze (Italy)
Phone: +39 055 2265311; fax +39 055 2653130
E-mail: laura@imss.fi.it

The 4th ILabHS was realised thanks to a financial contribution on the part of the Ministero per i Beni e le Attivitą Culturali.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Soprintendenza per i Beni Artistici e Storici di Firenze, Pistoia e Prato
Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence
Comune di Firenze
      Ufficio del Sindaco
      Assessorato alla Cultura
      Musei Comunali
Comune di Vinci
      Museo Leonardiano / Biblioteca Leonardiana
Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
Ordine dei Frati Predicatori, Convento di Santa Maria Novella, Florence
Istituto Geografico Militare, Florence
Comune di Anghiari
      Assessorato alla Cultura
Soprintendenza per i Beni Ambientali, Architettonici, Artistici e Storici di Arezzo