Posted on 03/15/2026 8:14:20 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
...the idea behind the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project, which aims to accurately answer a simple question: since we couldn't sequence Leonardo's DNA in the 1500s, are his bones at Amboise Castle really his?
To get there, the team plans to compare DNA from Leonardo's remains with profiles from his living relatives -- and, if the samples check out, assemble more of Leonardo's genome.
Because the legendary Renaissance artist had no children, researchers Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato of the Leonardo Da Vinci Heritage Association started with old-school genealogy, publishing Genìa Da Vinci. Genealogy and Genetics for Leonardo's DNA. Their tree follows collateral lines through Leonardo's father and a half-brother, tracing the male lineage back to 1331 and flagging relatives whose DNA could anchor the test.
The emphasis on the paternal line of Leonardo's lineage is due to more than just the availability of information, as Leonardo was born out of wedlock from a union between the respected notary Ser Piero and a peasant woman identified as Caterina. It's because the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project relied on the Y-chromosome to identify 15 male-line descendants of Leonardo's branch of his family tree, as that chromosome is passed unaltered from the father to the son...
In addition to verifying if Leonardo da Vinci truly is buried where he's supposed to be, sequencing his DNA can also offer a richer understanding of the man whose works continue to captivate the world more than half a millennium after his birth. Genetic markers can clarify physical traits we've only inferred from Leonardo's portraits, like ancestry, pigmentation, and certain health risks. It won't decode "genius," but it could add valuable biological context to his life and work.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
How do they know that these six people are in any way descended from relatives of Leonardo da Vinci?
The chances of all six having identical Y chromosomes from another source seems pretty small.
Not zero, but pretty small.
Every time I see an I-don’t-give-a-damn post on one of your threads here, I just wonder why that person just had to post to tell everybody they are not interested-when obviously they read at least the main part of the thread-solo ellos saben por que...
Thanks Texan5! I'm glad it's not just me who wonders.
I don’t have any problem believing it IS Da Vinci in there, I just wonder why would they think it wasn’t?
There are whole graveyards out there all over the place. Why would anyone think, ‘bet that guys not the guy down there’.
There must be a little something more about this.
Yeah, hence my excerpt, and the secondary link.
Thanks for the ping SunkenCiv! Another interesting article.
My pleasure!
I did read that article but it doesn’t go into why they originally questioned who is in his grave as if it might not be him.
Quite often gay men have issues with their mother. While Leonardo’s wealthy father may not have responded well to a women of his own class, he may have been quite comfortable with a peasant woman who was very unlike his mother. The fact her name is known is probably significant.
“AI Overview
==Yes, Leonardo da Vinci received significant acknowledgment and support from his putative father, Ser Piero da Vinci, a wealthy Florentine legal notary. Although Leonardo was born out of wedlock (illegitimate) to a peasant woman named Caterina, Ser Piero acknowledged paternity and took steps to foster Leonardo’s early career.
Here are the key ways Ser Piero acknowledged his son:
—Recognition of Paternity: Ser Piero legally recognized Leonardo as his son, as evidenced by 1457 tax returns filed by Leonardo’s grandfather, Antonio da Vinci, which listed the child as “born of him [Piero] and Caterina”.
—Upbringing: After infancy, Leonardo was raised in his father’s household in Vinci, where he had access to scholarly texts and education in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
—Apprenticeship: Recognizing his artistic talent, Ser Piero arranged for Leonardo’s apprenticeship with the renowned artist Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence around 1466, when Leonardo was about 14 years old.
—Support of Early Work: According to biographer Giorgio Vasari, Ser Piero took some of Leonardo’s early drawings to his friend Verrocchio to facilitate the apprenticeship.
—Support for Early Art Sales: Ser Piero sold some of his son’s early work (such as a decorated round wooden shield) to an art dealer in Florence.
==While Leonardo was excluded from following his father’s profession as a notary or inheriting much of his wealth due to his illegitimate status, Ser Piero provided him with the initial stability and professional connections needed for his training.
The fact that both his father acknowledged him, and his grandfather even entered the marriage and the mother’s name in the tax rolls, indicates it was probably a known, accepted, and probably somewhat long lasting relationship between his parents. Apparently he stayed with his mother while he was small and then came to live with his father’s family when he was old enough for formal education and later apprenticeship.
Even AI uses putative. Because there is zero ways to confirm biological paternity at this remove in time. The fact that Ser Piero acknowledged him and provided for him is indicative that he thought he was the father, but it’s not proof.
Those DNA tests should make the situation more clear, although I think the woman would not necessarily had much freedom of movement or freedom from gossip if she was cheating on a socially powerful lover. Also if she had a bad reputation the grandfather probably would not have taken the tax responsibility. Remember these societies lived by family connections and knowing what was happening with whom.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.