Shaping a network of technical knowledge through a visual tool: the case of the Arcicanna

From 1659 on, a significant astronomical debate unfolded among the foremost European scholars. The Accademia del Cimento, established in 1657 with the support of Prince Leopoldo de' Medici, played a pivotal role in the debate concerning the nature of Saturn’s rings. In addition to making astronomical observations, the academicians also invented a device to facilitate the operation of increasingly heavy telescopes: the Arcicanna. Prince Leopoldo was directly involved in the dissemination of this instrument throughout Europe via correspondence. By attaching illustrations of the device to his letters, he shared this invention with prominent scholars of the time, including Christiaan Huygens, Ismael Boulliau, Michelangelo Ricci and Robert Southwell. In this way, Prince Leopoldo contributed to shape the geography of a technical knowledge network. A substantial body of research has underscored the significance of the iconographic component associated with letters as a conduit for interactivity, facilitating the dissemination of technical and cultural knowledge. The following case study illustrates a distinctive strategy of knowledge transmission, exemplifying how visual tools were employed during the Republic of Letters. Leopoldo de' Medici transmitted the illustration of the Arcicanna, meticulously delineating the constituent parts of the instrument and its production context, thereby facilitating its reproducibility abroad