What did Leonardo da Vinci design that is widely recognized as an early parachute?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a pyramidal parachute as an early parachute concept.

Around 1485, Leonardo sketched a pyramid-shaped canopy made from linen held open by a wooden frame. His notes proposed that a person could descend safely from a height using the device. The design was based on the idea that a broad fabric surface would resist air and slow a fall.

Leonardo did not build or test the parachute, so it was a theoretical invention rather than a demonstrated flight machine. Its proportions are often described as roughly 7.2 metres high and 7.2 metres wide, although interpretations of the drawing vary.

Modern parachutes use flexible canopies, suspension lines and harnesses, unlike Leonardo’s rigid-framed proposal. In 2000, Adrian Nichols built and tested a version based on Leonardo’s drawing; it descended successfully, though Nichols used a modern parachute for the final landing because the historical structure was considered difficult to steer.