Leonardo da Vinci sketched a parachute as a conical cloth canopy intended to let a person descend safely.
The drawing appears in the Codex Atlanticus and is generally dated to around 1485. Leonardo described a pyramid-shaped linen structure supported by poles, with a width and height of about 7.5 metres. His idea was that the canopy would create air resistance and slow a person’s fall.
Leonardo did not build or test the device, so it was a theoretical design rather than a demonstrated working parachute. The concept nevertheless shows an early understanding that a broad surface moving through air can provide drag and reduce descent speed.
Modern parachutes normally use flexible canopies shaped and controlled differently from Leonardo’s rigidly framed pyramid. In 2000, Adrian Nichols tested a replica based on the drawing and reported that it could descend successfully, although it would be too dangerous to land with in its original form.