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Leonardo da Vinci's 500th anniversary

 
sgtdjones 2019-05-04 15:21:28 

Leonardo da Vinci's 500th anniversary: The great master's enduring legacy

Leonardo da Vinci died 500 years ago at the age of 67. He was a universal genius driven by insatiable curiosity that led him to explore ideas in science, math, architecture, design, engineering, geology, cartography, sculpting, drawing and, of course, painting.

Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in Anchiano, a hamlet near the Tuscany town of Vinci, about 25 miles west of Florence. His full birth name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, which means "Leonardo, son of Piero, from Vinci," which is generally shortened to just Leonardo da Vinci.
His mother was a local peasant named Caterina and his father was a wealthy notary. Leonardo was born out of wedlock, and both parents married other people after his birth, but he spent his childhood on his father's estate, where he was educated and treated like a legitimate son.


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sgtdjones 2019-05-04 15:25:23 

After living most of his life between Florence, Milan and, briefly, Rome, Leonardo moved to France, where he spent his final three years serving at the court of King Francis I as a painter and sculptor. He died in the town of Amboise on May 2, 1519. His grave has been lost, as the church of St. Florentin, where he was buried, was damaged during the French revolution and then demolished in the early 19th century. Remains found on the site decades later are now buried in a nearby chapel, but it's uncertain whether they are his.

The uncertainty that surrounds so many aspects of Leonardo's life and work has undoubtedly fueled the world's fascination with the Renaissance master. Five hundred years on, it seems to be stronger than ever.


A few exhibitions will celebrate, after 500 years, his paintings world wide.