It is not certain whether Leonardo da Vinci was the actual inventor of this type of ferry, which uses the river current to move; he certainly studied the course of the Adda River at length during the period he spent working for Ludovico il Moro, Lord of Milan.

The genius vinciano drew a ferry identical to the one existing in Imbersago during his stay in Vaprio d’Adda, as a guest of Girolamo Melzi; the drawing, dated 1513, was included in the Windsor Codex and is kept in the castle of the same name in England.