In what Italian town was Leonardo da Vinci born?

Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci, a Tuscan town in Italy, on 15 April 1452. The town lies about 20 miles west of Florence, in the lower valley of the Arno River. Leonardo was probably born just outside the town, in the nearby hamlet of Anchiano, but Vinci is the accepted town associated with his birthplace.

His full name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, meaning “Leonardo, son of Piero from Vinci.” In Renaissance Italy, “da Vinci” was a geographic description rather than a modern-style family surname. His father, Piero, was a Florentine notary, while his mother, Caterina, came from a lower-class family.

Leonardo spent his early childhood around Vinci before moving to Florence, where he eventually entered the workshop of the artist Andrea del Verrocchio. Florence exposed him to the artistic and scientific culture that helped shape his career as a painter, engineer, anatomist and inventor. A common mix-up is calling Florence his birthplace: it was central to his education, but Vinci is the town that gave him his name.