Da Leonardo da Vinci alla nanotribologia: storia delle ricerche e delle teorie sui fenomeni d'attrito. Prima parte: Le leggi dell'attrito radente, le teorie della lubrificazione e gli studi sull'attrito volvente.

The paper present an overview of the history of scientific research concerning friction, lubrication and wear. The most important topics and results of research on friction, from antiquity to now, are outlined. This first part of the work (the second one was published in the next issue of this journal), concerns the period from antiquity to1930: the early laws and theories, from Leonardo to Amontons and Coulomb; the theory of lubrication and the models of rolling friction from 1840 to 1930. Didactic observations and suggestions introduce and conclude the paper.