As an art lover, my 2019 trip to Florence, Italy was a dream come true. Upon leaving the Uffizi Gallery, the famed Medici administration building turned Renaissance art treasure trove, it felt appropriate to see Leonardo da Vinci (or at least an actor portraying him) in the Piazza della Signoria. He was popular with many tourists; a collective fascination with the artist as much for what we know of him; an inventor, painter, and scientist, as what we don’t. Though thousands of pages in his famous notebooks have survived, we know very little of him as a person.

What has become known in the 500 years since his death is his insatiable curiosity. He studied everything from botany to astronomy, to geology and anatomy. His notebooks filled with diagrams, mathematic equations, and observations in nature. They are an insight into the unique way da Vinci saw the world. They also lend to his mystique, he had a prolific depth of interest, a true Renaissance man, but he didn’t write of his personal life. As mysterious as the Mona Lisa’s smile, he is shrouded in secrecy, with his sense of wonder and discovery as his legacy.

I’ve read that his unfortunate circumstance of being born the illegitimate son to a poor peasant woman was a gift in disguise. It kept him from the formal schooling necessary to follow in his father’s footsteps as a notary (he had no true birthright to the role). This granted him the freedom to explore the natural world around him in the vineyards outside of Florence. It also allowed him to practice art, for which he showed an early ability. How fortunate for us all that this prodigy was free to follow his talents and interests. I will continue to be inspired by his sense of mystery and deep interest in discovery and learning. There is still wisdom to be had from his life all these centuries later.

“Realize that everything connects to everything else.” – Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519