For this week’s Monday Muse, we thought you might like to hear some fun facts about Leonardo da Vinci.
1. Da Vinci translates to “of Vinci”, his birthplace. This was a common practice at the time.
2. He did not have a formal education. Latin, the language of academics at the time, was something he taught himself, and it wasn’t until he was in his 30’s that he started studying advanced mathematics.
3. He really didn’t paint that much. There are only about 17 paintings that exist attributed to him. He had so many interests including science, engineering, and anatomy that these pursuits took up much of his time.
4. His passion for the study of anatomy included as many as 30 human dissections at various hospitals. He also researched the brain, heart, and lungs.
5. Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder, owns his book of sketches, drawings, and scientific thought about such topics as the moon, fossils, and the movement of water. The notebook is titled “Codex Hammer,” and Gates paid $30.8 million for it in 1994.