Leonardo da Vinci
                               Birth Place and Childhood
                                            (1452-1466)
     It was the period of the renaissance when Leonardo da Vinci was born on 15. April 1452. Leonardo was born probably in this farmhouse in Anchiano, which is 3 km away from Vinci. The family of Leonardo lived in this area since the 13th century.
The father of Leonardo da Vinci, Ser Piero, was a 25 years old public notary when Leonardo was born. In the same year when Leonardo was born Ser Piero married his first wife. He didn´t marry the mother of Leonardo, because probably she was a daughter of a farmer. The mother of Leonardo was called Catarina. Her first name is all what we know today.
 This is the Baptismal chapel and font in Vinci where Leonardo was christened. Leonardo was christened from the parson Piero da Bartolomeo to the name Lionardo and not Leonardo. The chapel is inside the lovely church of Vinci. The church and beside the castle of Vinci are forming the skyline of of this lovely town.
Leonardo lived probably in Anchiano for five years until he settled to Vinci.
Vinci is a small town, placed at the foot of "Monte Albano", in the most wonderful place on earth the Tuscany in Italy.
1457 Leonardo moved to his grandfather from Anchiano to Vinci. From this time he was member of his fathers family, but he was never legitimated.

 Ser Piero and his first wife didn't have children. Maybe this is the reason why Leonardo was integrated in the family of his father.
Here you can see the family coat of arms.
In Vinci Leonardo went to school. Vasari told that teachers of Leonardo da Vinci were despaired about all the questions and doubts of Leonardo. Leonardo learned at school to write, to read and to calculate. Also he was taught in geometry and Latin. Later Leonardo tried to improve his knowledge in Latin, because he thought that he didn't learn enough at school in Latin. Perhaps this is the reason why Leonardo did his notes in Italian.
Leonardo lived in Vinci until 1466. With the age of 14 Leonardo moved to Florence where he began an apprenticeship in the workshop of Verrocchio.

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