In which church in Vinci was Leonardo da Vinci baptized?

Leonardo da Vinci was baptized in the Church of Santa Croce in Vinci. The church stands in Vinci, the Tuscan town whose name Leonardo later used as part of his identity.

A record traditionally dated 16 April 1452 states that Leonardo was baptized by the parish priest Piero di Bartolomeo Cecci. His birth had taken place the previous day at Anchiano, a countryside settlement near Vinci. Leonardo was the illegitimate son of the notary Ser Piero da Vinci and Caterina, and he grew up mainly in his father’s family environment.

Visitors often confuse the church with the separate baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence, an important monument in Leonardo’s wider region but not the site associated with his baptism. Santa Croce’s present appearance is largely the result of later rebuilding, while its baptismal font and local tradition preserve the connection to Leonardo’s earliest days.