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Vincenzo Delle Donne. Leonardo da Vinci
Clos Lucé Castle near Amboise, April 23, 1519
Anchiano by Vinci, April 15, 1452: the birth of an illegitimate child
Sodom and Gomorrah in Florence
Florence and the Medici
The Magnificent, the unfortunate "Mars" and the incarnation of Venus
Mathematics and astronomy as the key to the world
Leonardo's new and revolutionary painting
The Pazzi family conspiracy
Arrival at the ducal court of Milan
Leonardo and Ludovico Sforza: the artistic genius at the service of the tyrant
The master and the young pet pupil
February 1498: the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent in Milan
The escape from Milan and the return to Florence
The sensual portrait of Monna Lisa Gherardini or: the catastrophic return to Florence
Leonardo and Michelangelo
Rafael and Leonardo
Wandering between Florence and Milan
Leonardo's artistic influence in Rome
In the end Leonardo gave in to the tempting offers of the new King of France François Ier
Leonardo: the experience as a unique science
Leonardo’s legacy
Chronology of a life
Bibliography
About the Author 
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Nature, which he adored with religious fervor and considered as the only source of his knowledge, always meant well with him. Even on this warm spring day, when Leonardo was about to take his leave to indulge in earthly life. In some ways nature itself had abounded in his regard. This was the unanimous opinion of his friends and of all those who were close to him, who loved him. Whoever met him, even those without religious belief , were nevertheless inclined to believe that he had been the Son of God on earth. There was no better metaphor to express that Leonardo had been something exceptional, something unique in the course of human history. And indeed, his spirit and soul highlighted a marvellous deity he made speechless and happy: a unique human understanding and kindness was reflected in order to portray divine grace and unprecedented beauty in his art. Without a doubt, the limitless experience of imminent death was also radical and unpredictable for him. The experience? Didn't the old man with a long beard and pendant hair, now lying on his bed, breathing heavily and with his right hand paralyzed for a long time, elevate his life experience as the maxim that man should aspire and act? In any case, he always preached it not only to his students and teachers, but also to his colleagues and friends, making himself many enemies. This list of enemies included clergymen who publicly condemned his thoughts as heretic and subversive. He himself had completely internalized and lived by this maxim since childhood. Experiencing, seeing and understanding what was happening around him gave him the greatest pleasure. He was a man driven by inner motions, a restless man, constantly driven to reach the knowledge of the laws of nature. That he had left many things unfinished did not bother him at all.
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, Leonardo Figlio di Piero di Vinci, Leonardo in brief, was already eulogized and praised as the universal genius of human history even when he was alive. The illegitimate son of a notary from rural Tuscany had come a long way. He spoke to rich patricians, spoke to ambitious princes and ruthless generals, but also to vain kings and sumptuous popes. Leonardo had a hectic life behind him, full of events and successes. Vinci, Florence, Milan, Pavia, Rome, Mantua, Venice, Milan, Amboise: Leonardo had travelled restlessly from city to city, from master to master, from battle to battle, always in search of completing any commission, guided by his unstoppable ingenuity, always wanting to transcend the limits of human knowledge. No order was too delicate for the notorious perfectionist, no new way too dangerous or too arduous, no new task unsolvable. All the phenomena of nature and man were worth to Leonardo to be faced and explored. He was always inspired to expose the lawfulness of life, always crossing the fine line between the forbidden and the allowed. There was nothing to reproach, for he had followed only common sense, the finesse of time and the transience of earthly life at all times.
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In his last will, Leonardo decided, surprisingly, to be buried in the church of Saint-Florentin at the castle of Clos Lucé. In France, therefore, and not in Florence, as his friends and students expected. Here, where he had last conducted the renovation work in the castle of Amboise, he wanted to find eternal rest. Certainly this decision was dictated by the bitterness and sense of abandonment he felt towards the Lords of Florence. The Medici family had made him great once, but in the end also "destroyed" him, as he had noted in his diary. Perhaps Leonardo's decision to be buried in France was also a concession to the King of France, who had welcomed him so kindly in recent years, and supported him with a truly princely apanage. Perhaps the place of his funeral was part of the agreement that Leonardo had met with King François Ier before making his last trip to France. But why did he want to be buried in this church? What did the church of Saint-Florentin at the Clos Lucé castle mean to the artist? The name could derive from "Virgin Lucis", translated as "Virgin of Light". Was it perhaps the Madonna that Leonardo painted to fulfill his role as the first court painter? It is also assumed that the fresco in the chapel of Anne de Bretagne, on the ground floor, was probably painted by his pupil Francesco de' Melzi. Like many things in the life of the universal genius, these are only hypotheses. Because Leonardo was already suffering from illness at that time and was no longer able to paint. The church is located a few hundred metres from Amboise Castle and notes show that Leonardo felt that the environment was a jewel of nature and a delight for his senses.
The question of the funeral, which worried Leonardo now on his deathbed, remained. It was his last staging that concerned him closely and nothing should go wrong. The incomparable master of ceremonies, however, this time as his client, in addition to surprising those present, wanted to send a final message to posterity. He wanted to leave the stage of life as he had lived it. How was the funeral to be celebrated? Like a funeral or more like a party? Unbridled, thoughtful or sad like life itself? He was very conflicted about it. Leonardo had organized several sparkling parties for his aristocratic contractors, with which he was happy, surprised and enchanted. Everyone was very impressed, because they were amazed by the dramaturgy and the surprise effects. At his last party, which saw him as the undisputed protagonist, everything had to work as cohesive as possible and be suitable for his character: he had to be generous, simple and modest. It was a flashy reflection of his character, the worthy conclusion of his lively life. Leonardo established that 60 "beggars" with a candle in their hands should follow the funeral procession and that the funeral was to be organized by Franciscan friars and beggars. Even in this difficult time Leonardo demonstrated his talent and love for staging and symbolism. Because the number 60 is full of symbolic meaning: on 60 pearls we speak of the Rosary of the Virgin Mary. The number 60 is synonymous with heaven, it is mentioned in the Bible 32 times. The number also indicates the global karma of the universe and divine providence in general. Leonardo remained mysterious until his death. He also established that three solemn masses should be celebrated, a perfect number, and should be read after his death by deacons and subdeacons. But this is not enough. Thirty other "inferior" masses in Saint-Grégoire, in Saint-Denis and in the church of the beggars were to be read in his memory. A farewell ceremony, scenic and evocative, that had to reflect the way in which he had dealt with his whole life. Did Leonardo, who had always considered himself an atheist, want to make peace with God? Was this the inescapable sign that he had repented of his actions on his deathbed and now asked God's forgiveness for his "crimes"?
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