Leonardo da Vinci sketched a parachute in 1485, describing it as a pyramid-shaped aerial device.
His manuscript design used a rigid wooden frame covered with linen. Leonardo calculated that a structure about 12 braccia wide and 12 braccia deep could let a person descend safely from a great height. The braccio was a historical Italian unit, so the exact modern dimensions depend on the conversion used.
Leonardo did not build the parachute, and no evidence shows that he tested it. Centuries later, parachute pioneers developed practical fabric canopies using different materials and construction methods. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nicholas tested a full-scale version of Leonardo’s design and reported that it worked, although it was difficult to control. The sketch is therefore best understood as an early theoretical parachute design, not the first operational parachute.