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Born in Vinci

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci is born out of wedlock near the town of Vinci, in the Republic of Florence.

Apprenticed to Verrocchio

At about 14, Leonardo joins the Florence workshop of sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio, training in a wide range of technical and artistic skills.

Qualifies as a master

Leonardo is accepted into the Guild of Saint Luke, the Florentine guild of artists and doctors, qualifying him to work as an independent master.

Moves to Milan

Leonardo enters the service of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, working as painter, engineer, and designer of court spectacles.

Begins his notebooks

Leonardo starts filling thousands of pages with studies on anatomy, flight, engineering, and optics, a habit he keeps for the rest of his life.

Paints The Last Supper

Commissioned for the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Leonardo begins his mural of Christ's final meal, completing it in 1498.

Returns to Florence

After Ludovico Sforza falls to French forces, Leonardo leaves Milan and returns to his native Florence.

Begins the Mona Lisa

Leonardo starts painting a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the work that will become the most famous painting in the world.

Second Milan period

Leonardo returns to a French-ruled Milan, continuing his scientific studies on anatomy, water, and mechanics alongside his art.

Moves to Rome

Under the patronage of Giuliano de' Medici, Leonardo relocates to the Vatican's Belvedere Courtyard in Rome.

Moves to France

Invited by King Francis I, Leonardo settles at the manor of Clos Lucé near Amboise as 'First Painter, Engineer and Architect to the King.'

Dies at Clos Lucé

Leonardo da Vinci dies at Clos Lucé, Amboise, France, at age 67, leaving behind an unmatched body of art and scientific inquiry.