Leonardo da Vinci’s family tree: Historians trace the Italian polymath’s descendants across 690 years and 21 generations – and find 14 living male relations
- Italian historians Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato have researched the da Vinci family
- They have traced five branches, starting with progenitor Michele, who was born in 1331
- The team hopes the results may inform future studies into Leonardo da Vinci’s genetic makeup
- His living male relations include farmers, office workers, an upholsterer, porcelain seller and even an artist
The family tree of the Renaissance-era Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci has been traced across 690 years and 21 generations — revealing 14 living male descendants.
Historians Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato have spent a decade delving through records to piece together the male line of the da Vinci family.
This began with Michele (born in 1331), and covered five family branches, including the one which yielded his great-great-great grandson Leonardo (born 1452).
The work, the duo explained, fills gap and corrects errors into previous genealogical work around the da Vinci family — and may inform future studies of Leonardo’s DNA.
The 14 living descendants include children, farmers, office workers, an upholsterer, porcelain seller and even an artist, who say they are proud to be related to the great man.
The family tree of the Renaissance-era Italian polymath Leonardo Da Vinci has been traced across 690 years and 21 generations — revealing 14 living male descendants. Pictured: Part of the duo’s reconstruction of da Vinci’s family tree, from progenitor Michele (born 1331) down to Tommaso Gaspero Maria, 14 generations later. Leonardo can be seen on the side branch
The researcher’s tree began with Michele (born in 1331), and covered five family branches — including the one that yielded his great-great-great grandson Leonardo (pictured, born 1452)
Descendants ‘honoured’ to be related to the great man
Paulo Vinci, 85, described the news as a ‘surprise and an honour’ when hearing he was related to Leonardo.
Paulo said: ‘Leonardo is the incomparable genius and it is an honour for me to share an infinitesimal part of his genetic heritage.’
Bruno Vinci, 77, felt ‘honoured’ – and did not know how to put his joy into words when hearing the news.
He compared it to the joy of arriving in New York in 1964 when he was in the Navy aboard the warship Impavido, and seeing the Statue of Liberty.
Geovanni Vinci, 62, also became an artist – but does not think he has ‘anything in common with Leonardo,’ saying at most it made him ‘a bit more of a technician’.
Geovanni joked: ‘Maybe for some of my work Leonardo turned in his grave – but for the rest I hope he is proud.’
Milko Vinci, 44, also said ‘honour and immense pride’ were the first reactions – but then he felt ‘small and unprepared in practice for everything.’
He said: ‘Leonardo is not comparable to any other man for ability, ingenuity, intuition and art. Without forgetting the respect and admiration for the study that led to this discovery.’
According to the researchers, Leonardo — while having no children himself — had a whopping 22 half-brothers.
The team traced the five branches of his family tree from Leonardo’s father, ser Piero, and one of his half-brothers, Domenico.
Below the 15th generation of the family, the researchers have collected data on more than 225 different individuals making up the da Vinci family tree.
Dr Sabato said the elderly are retired, the youngest are employed and one of those they found is currently working as a freelancer.
None of the living descendants live in Vinci, the Tuscan town where Leonardo came from, but do reside in various Tuscan municipalities – from Montelupo Fiorentino to Lastra a Signa and Versilia.
The family is now known as Vinci – having dropped the ‘da’, with 85-year-old Paulo Vinci describing the news as a surprise and a ‘source of great pride’.
Asked if there were any papers or documents about his lineage, he explained: ‘No, this topic has never been dealt with in my family.
‘Perhaps it seemed impossible that there was a direct lineage. About 60 years ago, at the age of 25, on the occasion of a visit to the Vinci museum, I was told my family descended directly from that of Leonardo.
‘But it all ended there, without any further study. Then, only this year, I was contacted by the historians Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato, who showed me, following in-depth research, that the lineage was certain.
‘Leonardo is the incomparable genius and it is an honour for me to share an infinitesimal part of his genetic heritage.’
Bruno Vinci, 77, felt ‘honoured’ – and did not know how to put his joy into words.
He was grateful to the researchers for shedding light on the genealogy of his family,’ saying he has two sons and four male grandchildren to continue the lineage.
Historians Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato (pictured with their genealogical tree) have spent a decade delving through records to piece together the male line of the da Vinci family
Leonardo da Vinci’s 14 living male relations
Paulo di Leonardo (b 1935)
Giovanni di Otello (b 1958)
Bruno di Guiseppe (b 1943)
Mauro di Guiseppe (b 1946)
Alessandro di Bruno (b 1975)
Paulo di Bruno (b 1981)
Xy di Alessandro (b 2012)
Xi di Alessandro (b 2012)
Xi di Paulo (b 2018)
Xi di Paulo (b 2020)
Xy di Ilio (b 1955)
Xy di Xy (no birth date)
Xy di Xy (no birth date)
Milko di Mario (b 1976)
Bruno compared it to arriving in New York in 1964 when he was in the Navy aboard the warship Impavido, and seeing the Statue of Liberty from the bow.
Geovanni Vinci, 62, also became an artist – but does not think he has ‘anything in common with Leonardo,’ saying at most it made him ‘a bit more of a technician’.
Geovanni joked: ‘Maybe for some of my work Leonardo turned in his grave – but for the rest I hope he is proud.’
When he found out, at first there was an ‘initial amazement’ – but then ‘an undeniable pride,’ saying he’d been asked if he was a ‘descendant of Leonardo’ since childhood.
‘I never thought I would be able to answer yes, even if perhaps there was this hope in a far corner of my mind,’ Geovanni said.
He added: ‘The lineage from Leonardo’s brother, Domenico, who chooses to live in the countryside of Vinci, in a quiet place, dealing with agriculture and aspects less related to material heritage, makes me connect him to my father Otello.
‘I remember his desire to live an honest, calm and orderly life in harmony and serenity and with great pride in his work as a glass worker.
‘I would say to my grandchildren that I have always thought about the possibility of being an heir of Leonardo Da Vinci.
‘And that one day Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato showed up and told me that most likely I was one of Leonardo’s descendants.
‘I would say that my initial disbelief then turned into pride; and they too should feel proud and honour this legacy.
‘But what I would try to convey to him is that we certainly did not inherit wealth and material goods but the simplicity, serenity and passion for beauty that I believe Leonardo had.’
Milko Vinci, 44, also said ‘honour and immense pride’ were the first reactions – but then he felt ‘small and unprepared in practice for everything.’
He said: ‘Leonardo is not comparable to any other man for ability, ingenuity, intuition and art. Without forgetting the respect and admiration for the study that led to this discovery.’
‘I would like to know what triggered his insatiable hunger for knowledge, the constant search for answers through art and technique, putting Man at the centre of the Universe,’ he added.
‘Paradoxically, I would ask Leonardo to make a list of three of his inalienable passions.’
One of his indirect descendants was the acclaimed Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli (pictured). He died in 2019 at the age of 96
Professor Vezzosi said the work fills gaps and corrects errors in previous genealogical research into Leonardo’s family.
The study expands on earlier work by the duo, first released in 2016, which revealed two direct living male descendants — and numerous indirect living relations — from a single branch of the da Vinci family.
They included a policeman, a pastry chef, an accountant and a retired blacksmith.
One of his indirect descendants was the acclaimed Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli. He died in 2019 at the age of 96.
Prof Vezzosi said: ‘It also provides for the first time the documentary data and information sources over seven centuries to the present day registry office, with work on additional family branches ongoing.’
The work will inform scientific works that Dr Vezzosi and Mrs Sabato are undertaken in tandem with the international Leonardo aa Vinci DNA Project.
This programme aims to reconstruct da Vinci’s DNA, from which investigations can begin into the genetic components of his genius, physical prowess, premature aging, believed left-handedness and his health, including his extraordinary vision.
As the Y chromosome, passed down by male descendants, can remain almost unchanged across as many as 25 generations, studying this genetic data in modern men of the da Vinci family could help to confirm Leonardo’s own Y chromosome.
It could also help to verify the uninterrupted family line by means of analysis of DNA in both ancient of modern burial sites.
In addition, the researchers said, comparison of biological data could help to verity the authenticity of artworks and materials supposedly handled by da Vinci.
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Human Evolution.
The man behind the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and the Vitruvian Man
His most recognisable works include the Mona Lisa (pictured), The Last Supper and the Vitruvian Man
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, more commonly Leonardo da Vinci or simply Leonardo, was one of the greatest individuals of the last millennium.
The polymath was a driving force behind the Renaissance and dabbled in invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography.
He has been attributed with the development of the parachute, helicopter and tank.
He was born in what is modern-day Italy in 1452 and died at the age of 67 in France.
After being born out of wedlock the visionary he worked in Milan, Rome, Bologna and Venice.
His most recognisable works include the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and the Vitruvian Man.
Another piece of artwork, dubbed the Salvator Mundi, sold for a world record $450.3 million (£343 million) at a Christie’s auction in New York in 2017.
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