Leonardo Da Vinci

By TRGBrodieEvans
  • Apr 15, 1452

    Leonardo was born

    Leonardo was born to Ser Piero, a notary, and Caterina, a peasant girl; his parents were never married.
  • 1467

    He became apprentice of Andrea del Verrocchio

    This date is an estimate, the apprenticeship could have begun a year or two later. But even 1467 would have been a bit late according to the customs of the time: Leonardo would have been fifteen, and most apprentices began at a younger age.
  • 1469

    Brothers become new rulers of Florence

    The two brothers took over when their father died. 1469 also marks the birth of Machiavelli, who would be an important advisor to Lorenzo and later write the work of political philosophy entitled The Prince (1515).
  • 1472

    Leonardo becomes a member of the Florence painters guild

    Other famous painters to join the painters' guild in 1472 were Botticelli and Perugino.
  • 1473

    Leonardo draws a landscape on the feast of Santa Maria delle neve

    This is his earliest known drawing, though he probably also had a hand in Verrochio's Baptism of Christ, which probably reached completion in or around 1473.
  • 1476

    Leonardo charged with sodomy on April 9; the case is dismissed June 16

  • 1477

    Leonardo had at least Some part in the painting the annunciation to the virgin

  • 1478

    The pazzi family tries to assassinate Lorenzo and Giuliano de Medici

    Lorenzo survives; Giuliano does not. This same year, Leonardo writes in his notebooks that he has begun "two Virgin Marys." He also paints the Portrait of Ginevra de Benci around this time.
  • 1481

    Leonardo receives a commission to paint the adoration of the magi

    The painting was never completed, yet was–and is–considered a masterpiece. This same year, most of the other noteworthy painters in Florence were sent to Rome to work on projects for the Pope.
  • 1482

    Leonardo moves from Florence to Milan entering the patronage of Ludovico sforza

    By this time, Leonardo is writing in his notebooks regularly.
  • 1483

    Leonardo receives a commission to paint the virgin of the rocks

  • 1485

    Plague in Milan; titan born

  • 1488

    Verrochico dies

  • 1489

    Leonardo studies anatomy

  • 1490

    Leonardo begins work in earnest on the bronze horse for his patron Ludovico sforza

  • 1492

    Lorenzo de medici dies

  • 1493

    A woman named caterina, possibly Leonardo’s mother, possibly a serpent becomes a member of his household

  • 1494

    Savonarola takes power in florence

  • 1495

    Leonardo begins his last supper

  • 1496

    Leonardo illustrated mathematician fra Luca pacioli’s de divina proportione

  • 1498

    Leonardo decorates the walls and ceiling of the sala delle asse

    In 1498 savonarola is burned at stake
  • 1499

    The French army conquers Milan, Leonardo leaves

  • 1500

    Leonardo and pacioli go to mantua

    In Mantua, he draws the Portrait in Profile of Isabelle d'Este. In Florence, he paints the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne.
  • 1502

    Leonardo becomes Cesare Borgia’s military engineer

    Leonardo travels around the Romagna, inspecting fortifications. He meets Machiavelli.
  • 1503

    Back In Florence, Leonardo begins the battle of anghiari

    Also, in 1503 Florence tries to divert the Arno River away from Pisa in order to defeat Pisa in war. Leonardo and Machiavelli may have cooperated on this project.
  • 1504

    On July 9th ser piero dies

  • 1505

    Leonardo makes a second attempt to build a flying machine and begins sketches for the Mona Lisa

    In 1505, Leonardo gives up on the Battle of Anghiari, which is deteriorating as he works on it.
  • 1506

    In may Leonardo is summoned to Milan by Charles d’amboise

    He paints a second version of the Virgin of the Rocks. He meets his beautiful young assistant, Francesco Melzi. Also, he travels to Florence in a lawsuit against his brothers of his inheritance from his uncle Francesco.
  • 1507

    Leonardo is appointed Luis XII’s painter and engineer

    He paints a second version of the Virgin of the Rocks. He meets his beautiful young assistant, Francesco Melzi. Also, he travels to Florence in a lawsuit against his brothers of his inheritance from his uncle Francesco.
  • 1513

    Leonardo moves to Rome

    Living in the Vatican, he studies the properties of mirrors. It is perhaps at this time that he paints the Turin Self-portrait. It was in this year that Leo X (Medici) became pope; the previous year the Medici family returned to power in Florence.
  • 1515

    Around this time Leonardo paints the painting John the baptist

    He also constructs a mechanical lion for the coronation of the new king of France, Francis I.
  • 1516

    Leonardo permanently leaves Italy for France

  • 1519

    Leonardo dies at cloux