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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was born in Anchiano, Tuscany (now Italy), close to the town of Vinci that provided the surname we associate with him today. In his own time he was known just as Leonardo, or as 'Il Florentine' (since he lived near Florence) and was famed as an artist, inventor and thinker.

He was a painter, architect, inventor, and student of all things scientific, active in a variety of areas including anatomy, cartography, and paleontology. His natural genius crossed so many disciplines that he epitomized the term 'Renaissance man'. Today he remains best known for his art, including two paintings that remain among the world’s most famous and admired, Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Art, da Vinci believed, was indisputably connected with science and nature.

His remarks and inventions were recorded in 13,000 pages of notes and drawings, which included designs for the first parachute, helicopter, airplane, tank, repeating rifle, swinging bridge, paddleboat and motorcar.