- Leonardo da Vinci, the painter of the “Mona Lisa” and a symbol of the Renaissance, was only half-Italian, his mother a slave from the Caucasus, new research revealed on Tuesday.
- Da Vinci’s mother had long been thought a Tuscan peasant, but University of Naples professor Carlo Vecce, a specialist in the Old Master, believes the truth is more complicated.
“Leonardo’s mother was a Circassian slave… taken from her home in the Caucasus Mountains, sold and resold several times in Constantinople, then Venice, before arriving in Florence,” he told AFP at the launch of a new book.
Leonardo Da Vinci A Son Of A ‘Slave’
Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Last Supper," dating to 1494-1498, is seen inside the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Access to the Renaissance masterpiece resumed Tuesday to the public after closure due to COVID-19 lockdown measures. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
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