Mold affects collection of Da Vinci art

Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus, the largest collection of drawings and writings by the Renaissance master, has been infiltrated by mold, officials said Friday.

The extent of any damage to the roughly 1,120-page Codex is not yet known. The Codex contains his drawings and writings from 1478 to 1519 on topics as varied as flying machines, weapons, mathematics and botany.

But officials say any conservation measures will be expensive and there are no funds for the work.

“The mold is not spreading,” said Msgr. Marco Navoni, a historian at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy, where the documents are housed. “We need to find sponsors to come forward to help pay for analysis to establish the necessary therapy, and then do the treatment.”