Friday Fun Facts About Leonardo Da Vinci

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Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci aka Leonardo Da Vinci was born in Italy in April 1452 and died in France in 1519 at the age of 67.

His genius in areas of mathematics, anatomy, art, were far ahead of his time. Two of his most famous paintings are the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.”

The Mona Lisa is actually quite small measuring only 30” x 21.” But The Last Supper in very large at 181 in × 346 in more than 12 feet across and took five years to paint.

The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 and the notoriety quickly made it the most famous painting in the world.

Here are some other facts about this extremely diverse and talented historical figure.

Fun Facts About Leonardo Da. Vinci

Why is the sky blue? DaVinci was the first to explain why it’s not some other color. Something to do with water particles and prisms and sunlight.
Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs), and Da Vinci are both said to have the ability to write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time. Da Vinci was left handed and wrote right to left rather than left to right as most of us do today. It was probably easier for him.
Da Vinci thought of the concept of contact lenses in 1508.
Da Vinci’s, Codex Leicester, is a collection of scientific writings that was purchased at Christie’s Auction House in 1994 by Bill Gates for $30,802,500.
Leonardo DiCaprio is named after Da Vinci supposedly because his mother felt him kick while standing in front of a Da Vinci portrait.
Da Vinci is joined by many other left handed people including Michelangelo, Einstein, Isaac Newton, Napoleon, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, former President Clinton, President Obama and Jimi Hendrix.
Not a lot is known about Di Vinci’s education but there is a belief that he was homeschooled.
Di Vinci’s drawing included things like an armored vehicle, a pile driver, a pulley system, and flying ships.
Da Vinci would often buy and set free the caged animals he saw in local markets.
According to legend Da Vinci’s last words were, “I have offended God and mankind. My work did not reach the quality it should have.” My guess is God would have been pretty happy with his creation.
Da Vinci and three others were once charged with sodomy but no witnesses were produced so they were released. The penalty for sodomy was death.
Historians agree that none of his inventions came to market, and none of his writings were published during his lifetime.