What did Leonardo da Vinci’s proposed parachute have at its base?

Leonardo da Vinci’s proposed parachute had a wooden frame at its base.

In a notebook passage usually dated to around 1485, Leonardo described a pyramid-shaped canopy made from linen held by poles. His design was intended to let a person descend safely from a great height. The supporting wooden structure gave the canopy a rigid, open form rather than the flexible shape of a modern parachute.

The proposal is often described as an early parachute concept, but Leonardo did not build and test it. Its dimensions are commonly translated as about 12 braccia high and 12 braccia wide, although the exact historical unit represented by a braccio varied.

Modern parachutes use flexible fabric, suspension lines, and a harness. Leonardo’s design differs in construction, yet it correctly recognized that a broad canopy could increase air resistance and slow a falling person. A 2000 experiment showed that a replica could descend, though it was not used for an actual jump.