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Leonardo da Vinci 1452 - 1519

Leonardo da Vinci was born more than 500 years ago (1452) in a town called Vinci in Italy. His full name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci - the da Vinci means "from the town of Vinci" - that's how they named people back then!

He lived in a time which was called the Renaissance which was a time when everyone was interested in art and doing great things.

Leonardo was very good at lots of things (in fact he was a genius). He was a scientist, an inventor, an architect, a musician, a sculptor, a mathematician and also a fantastic artist. He was curious about everything!

 Painted 1503 - 1506 
  If you have heard about the famous painting the  Mona Lisa - well he painted that and in 1962 it was valued at 100 million dollars! Imagine what it is worth now! It now hangs in the Louvre  in Paris.

                                                     
Another well known painting of his is The Last Supper Painted in 1498.  

         
The Vitruvian Man Produced in 1490 is also a well known drawing which was done when he was interested in science and anatomy.

Unusual Facts about Leonardo

He was a vegetarian throughout his life.

He liked to buy caged birds so he could set them free.

He was left handed and used a mirror to write backwards because a quill pen was easier to pull from right to left than push it.

He also dissected human cadavers.
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" Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is not art."........ Leonardo da Vinci

The great man died in 1519 aged 67.

If you want to learn more about Leonardo here is a very good, and awarded website created by school children - Leonardo da Vinci

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