Recently updated on June 11th, 2020 at 08:46 pm
500 hundred years ago today, the world lost one of its brightest shining stars. The original Renaissance Man – artist, engineer, scientist and inventor – Leonardo da Vinci continues to be one of the most influential figures in history. His gifts to humanity include the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and The Vitruvian Man, and he was the first father of flight and anatomy. His accomplishments are endless, his imagination limitless and his curiosity boundless. Half a millennium after his death, he remains a symbol of creativity and innovation to people around the world.
“He changed my life because he made me understand that you can never stop being curious, being open to differences, and to embrace changes in your life, travel to see new things and be yourself.” – Giacomo Giamboi, Trafalgar Travel Director, Italy
To celebrate the life and achievements of this iconic man, we want to share with you some little-known facts about the late, great Leonardo Da Vinci.
1. He was an animal lover and, probably, a vegetarian
“Does not nature produce enough simple food for thee to satisfy thyself?” (from The Literary Works of Leonardo da Vinci by Jean Paul Richter)
Despite such quotes as this, the debate on whether Da Vinci was or wasn’t a vegetarian rages on. But, one thing is indisputable, he loved animals. He was known to buy birds from the local market just to later let them free. And, in quotes such as this, we see him even questioning man’s supposed superiority over animals, “Man has great power of speech, but the greater part thereof is empty and deceitful. The animals have little, but that little is useful and true; and better is a small and certain thing than a great falsehood.” (from Da Vinci’s Codice Atlantico)
2. He was Lord of the (Tree) Rings
He wasn’t the first to realise that you could tell the age of a tree by counting its rings, but never one to leave well enough alone, Da Vinci took this observation one step further. It was he who first discovered that you could ascertain information about the climate and other environmental conditions of a given year based on the width between each ring. This realization pathed the way to the modern scientific method of dendrochronology which has given us invaluable insight into past weather patterns allowing us to better predict future climate cycles.
3. He was never formally educated
The illegitimate son of a lawyer and a peasant, Da Vinci received only basic home schooling in Latin and mathematics before being sent to Florence to serve as apprentice to prominent artist Andrea del Verrocchio. It was the drive to satisfy his natural curiosities that led him to educate himself in the various disciplines that would form the foundation of his scholarly achievements.
4. According to the artist, the Mona Lisa was never finished
Between his obsession with continued education and his penchant for perfection, Da Vinci was known for starting projects only to abandon them before completion. He was also a slow worker, spending more than three years on his famous works The Last Supper and The Adoration of the Magi. And, even after five long years, the Mona Lisa was never considered finished by the artist. This is the reason some scholars believe he didn’t date many of his pieces. In his mind, they were still works in progress.
5. He was almost executed
At age 24, Da Vinci and some male companions were arrested and charged with sodomy; a charge that at the time held a penalty of death. Luckily, the charges were eventually dropped when the prosecutors failed to find a witness to verify the accusations. But the event shook the artist so much, he left Florence for Milan shortly after.
6. He built one of the world’s first robots
In the year 1495, Da Vinci designed and built an automated knight, later known as ‘Leonardo’s Robot’. Using a system of pullies and cables, the robot was able to sit, stand, move its arms and even raise its visor. The knight was said to have been displayed during a party at the court of Milan.
As we celebrate the life of this brilliant visionary, we encourage you to follow in his footsteps, pushing boundaries and going out to discover the wonders of the world.
“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” – Leonardo da Vinci
Walk the streets of Florence and Milan that once inspired this great master on our Best of Italy trip, and experience first-hand how his work has left an indelible mark on Italian culture and our everyday lives.