Scientists confirmed genetic continuity in Leonardo da Vinci’s male descendants. Work is underway to compare ancient remains and possibly recover his DNA.
For more than five hundred years, Leonardo da Vinci has been admired as a brilliant artist, scientist, and inventor, celebrated for his unmatched creativity and experimental spirit. Today, an international effort known as the Leonardo DNA Project is closer than ever to uncovering the biological legacy of the Renaissance master.
In their recent book Genìa Da Vinci. Genealogy and Genetics for Leonardo’s DNA, published by Angelo Pontecorboli Editore, researchers Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato of the Leonardo Da Vinci Heritage Association in Vinci share the results of three decades of genealogical study. With the support of the Municipality of Vinci, the book traces an extensive family tree reaching back to 1331, covering 21 generations and more than 400 individuals. This genealogical framework provides the foundation for one of the most ambitious historical-genetic projects ever attempted: the reconstruction of Leonardo’s genetic profile.
Confirming male-line descendants
Through detailed examination of historical records and archival material — now compiled in the book — Vezzosi and Sabato were able to rebuild family branches linked to Leonardo. Their research identified 15 direct male-line descendants connected genealogically to both Leonardo’s father and his half-brother, Domenico Benedetto.
This discovery enabled David Caramelli, coordinator of the Leonardo DNA Project’s anthropological and molecular studies and Director of the Department of Biology at the University of Florence, together with forensic anthropologist Elena Pilli, to conduct DNA tests on six of these descendants. Their findings showed that specific segments of the Y chromosome — a marker commonly used for genetic identification — were shared among the men, confirming continuity of the Da Vinci male lineage for at least 15 generations.
The researchers also verified the presence of a Da Vinci family tomb in the Church of Santa Croce in Vinci, which is currently being excavated in partnership with the University of Florence. This tomb is believed to hold the remains of Leonardo’s grandfather Antonio, his uncle Francesco, and several of his half-brothers, including Antonio, Pandolfo, and Giovanni.
Potential comparison with ancient remains
During the excavation, University of Florence anthropologists Alessandro Riga and Luca Bachechi recovered bone fragments, some of which have been dated using radiocarbon analysis. One of the remains, consistent in age with Leonardo’s relatives, was subjected to paleogenomic testing. Preliminary results from Caramelli and molecular anthropologist Martina Lari indicate that the individual was male.
“Further detailed analyses are necessary to determine whether the DNA extracted is sufficiently preserved,” says Caramelli, who is also President of the University Museum System. “Based on the results, we can proceed with analysis of Y chromosome fragments for comparison with current descendants.”
If the Y chromosome of the living descendants is also found in the older remains in the Vinci church tombs, it would support the accuracy of paternity records, the historical reconstruction of the lineage established through death registers, and would allow for a more in-depth examination of the biological material attributed to Leonardo, as well as traces left on his original manuscripts or other works, potentially leading to the reconstruction of his DNA.
International collaboration and goals
Launched in 2016 and coordinated from The Rockefeller University, New York, the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project involves the J. Craig Venter Institute of California, the University of Florence and other institutions, with support from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation (New York), the Richard Lounsbery Foundation (Washington, D.C.), and other public and private partners.
The team’s scientific starting point was a hypothesis as simple as it is crucial: to trace the Y chromosome, which is passed unchanged from father to son.
“Our goal in reconstructing the Da Vinci family’s lineage up to the present day, while also preserving and valuing the places connected to Leonardo, is to enable scientific research on his DNA,” says Vezzosi. “Through the recovery of Leonardo’s DNA, we hope to understand the biological roots of his extraordinary visual acuity, creativity, and possibly even aspects of his health and causes of death.”
”Even a tiny fingerprint on a page could contain cells to sequence,” says Jesse H. Ausubel of The Rockefeller University and director of the project. “21st-century biology is moving the boundary between the unknowable and the unknown. Soon we may gain information about Leonardo and other historical figures once believed lost forever.”
Historical revelations from genealogy
The book’s scope extends beyond genetics. Across 21 chapters, it examines genealogy, history, and geography to shed light on the environment that influenced Leonardo’s life and work.
Through analysis of ancient land registries, the authors identified seven Da Vinci family homes in Vinci’s village and castle, as well as two properties owned by Leonardo himself, inherited from his uncle Francesco and contested in a long dispute with his half-brothers.
The authors devote special focus to two key figures in Leonardo’s life: His paternal grandfather Antonio — not merely a farmer but a merchant who traveled between Catalan Spain and Morocco — and Leonardo’s mother, Caterina. Through careful examination of existing research, sources, and archives, a clearer, non-romanticized picture of Caterina emerges. Increasingly plausible is her identification as a slave in the service of wealthy banker Vanni di Niccolò di ser Vanni. A series of wills and donation records from 1449 onward document the relationship between Vanni and his executor, the young notary ser Piero, Leonardo’s father.
A “Unicorn Dragon” … by Leonardo?
Among the most intriguing revelations: The authors publish for the first time a study hypothesizing that a mysterious charcoal drawing of rare expressive intensity may be attributed to Leonardo. It was discovered on the fireplace mantle of an old building in Vinci (formerly the Bracci house), now owned by the Municipality.
The fantastical creature features several striking iconographic elements, though worn by time: A spiral horn on the head, elongated snout and curved beak, hooked teeth, flaming tongue, clawed limbs, pointed ears, pronounced scales on the back and neck, and a fan-like membranous wing with fingered extensions — anticipating Leonardo’s later studies of bird and bat flight — along with a serpentine tail.
Due to these features, Vezzosi and Sabato have named the work “Unicorn Dragon.” Particularly compelling is a comparison with a detail from Windsor sheet RL 12370, dated to the 1470s.
The attribution hypothesis is currently supported by Roberta Barsanti, Director of the Leonardian Museum and Library, and by Vinci’s Mayor, Daniele Vanni. The Municipality has planned scientific analysis and restoration of the large drawing (about 80×70 cm), under the supervision of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Florence and the provinces of Pistoia and Prato.
Leonardo: Epigenetics Pioneer?
The book suggests that Leonardo may have intuited concepts we now call “epigenetic.” In his writings on heredity, he reflects on the influence of diet, blood, and parental behavior on offspring — observations still relevant today.
“Leonardo questioned the origins of human life not only biologically: in his studies on generation, conception becomes a complex act where nature, emotion, and fate intertwine — anticipating themes now central to the genetics–epigenetics debate,” explains Agnese Sabato.
Towards a genetic portrait
The final chapter explores evocative similarities between some current descendants and Leonardo’s famed self-portrait, offered as a reflection. Nonetheless, the project’s scientific ambitions remain paramount. If enough DNA fragments can be sequenced, researchers could reveal new insights into Leonardo’s genetic heritage, physical traits, and perhaps even vulnerabilities that shaped his life and work.
“This is not just about the author of the world’s most famous painting,” concludes Ausubel. “It’s a challenge to redefine the limits of historical knowledge and cultural heritage.”
Reconstructing Leonardo’s genetic profile represents a milestone of international significance — for both science and the valorization of historical identity.
For the small Tuscan town of Vinci, which once welcomed a very special illegitimate child named Leonardo, the echo of his “genetic voice” across the centuries is now a source of deep pride and renewed wonder.
And one thing is increasingly clear: our understanding of Leonardo Da Vinci is far from complete.
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