Leonardo in Vinci

According to a tradition which has taken root over the centuries, Leonardo was born in this countryside home in Anchiano, just outside the center of Vinci.

Leonardo’s birth was recorded by his paternal grandfather, Antonio da Vinci, on the last page of his family memories book.
“A grandson was born to me, son of my son Ser Piero, on the 15th day of April, a Saturday, at 3 in the morning. He has the name Lionardo. He was baptized by the priest Piero di Bartolomeo da Vinci, in the presence of Papino di Nanni, Meo di Tonino, Piero di Malvolto, Nanni di Venzo, Arigo di Giovanni Tedesco, Monna (Lady) Lisa di Domenico di Brettone, Monna Antonia di Giuliano, Monna Niccolosa del Barna, Monna Maria, daughter of Nanni di Venzo, and Monna Pippa di Previcone.”

Florence state archives, Notarile antecosimiano (Pre-Cosimo records), 16912, c. 105v.

Since the second half of the 19th century, a visit to Vinci has been a dream for scholars, artists, academics, and enthusiastic researchers of da Vinci history, keen to revisit the places where Leonardo was born and spent his childhood.

These included the historian Emanuele Repetti who came to Vinci in 1845, the painter Telemaco Signorini, and the scholar Gustavo Uzielli in 1872.
According to Uzielli, Giuseppe Garibaldi, during a brief stay in Vinci in 1867 as a guest of Count Masetti at the Villa del Ferrale, would visit Leonardo’s house every morning in an attempt to acquire “something of the genius of the great man.”

Today, Leonardo’s house, along with the Museo Leonardiano, is a museum dedicated to the great artist and man of science in the town of his birth, Vinci.

In Vinci, the memory of Leonardo has been preserved, above all, in the form of the two buildings which are the symbol of the town: the Church of Santa Croce (Holy Cross) and the Castello dei Conti Guidi (Castle of the Guidi Counts).

The Church of Santa Croce in the town of Vinci dates back to the 13th century. It underwent significant restoration works in the 1830s, which gave it its Neo-Renaissance appearance.

Inside the church, in the little baptistery created for the Leonardo quincentenary celebrations in 1952, the font in which Leonardo is believed to have been baptized is preserved.

The Castello dei Conti Guidi, owned by the town of Vinci since 1924, originates from the 11th century. It was the seat of the Podestà under fascism before being divided up into living accommodation, and since 1953 has housed the rooms of the Museo Leonardiano.

From the top of the tower, you can admire a landscape which has changed little from the view in Leonardo’s time. In particular, the view of Montalbano and the Valdinievole at close quarters brings to mind the sketches by Leonardo in his famous early drawing named Landscape (Inv. 8P, drawings and print cabinet of the Uffizi Gallery) dating from 1473.

The Sala del Podestà today houses some models of machines from the Museo Leonardiano collection. Leonardo was here on May 3, 1478 for the signature of a contract which made him the beneficiary of the permanent lease of the Vinci municipal mill to his uncle Francesco and his father Ser Piero.

To the north of Vinci, just outside the castle walls, are traces of the place where the Mulino della Doccia once stood. Leonardo mentioned the mill in one of his drawings of gear mechanisms, now contained in the Codex Atlanticus collection.

Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Atlanticus, f. 765 r

There were many other mills scattered along the streams flowing down the slopes of Montalbano which Leonardo might have observed during his childhood and adolescent years in Vinci.

In this folio from Leonardo, are traces of the plan for the dam on the Serravalle basin to the east of Vinci. It clearly shows how the man of science continued to take an interest in his homeland and that, in all probability, he returned there as an adult.

According to archive sources, Giovanni, Leonardo’s half-brother, rented a building in what is today Piazza Leonardo da Vinci that was used as a tavern and a butcher’s shop.

A few miles south of Vinci is San Pantaleo, a place where Leonardo’s mother Caterina moved after marrying Antonio di Piero di Andrea di Giovanni Buti del Vacca, known as Achattabriga.

Leonardo knew his home region so well that he drew it extremely accurately in his Map of the Arno Valley, which is today preserved in the Royal Library, Windsor.

In this map, which dates back to the early 1500s, Leonardo also drew his home town of Vinci, very accurately depicting the town’s almond shape and the outline of the Castello dei Conti Guidi (Count Guidi Castle).