Leonardo da Vinci designed a pyramid-shaped parachute intended to slow a person’s descent. He sketched the idea in the Codex Atlanticus around 1485, describing a rigid frame covered with linen.
The design was approximately seven metres high and wide at its base. Leonardo reasoned that the canopy would create enough air resistance to allow a person to descend safely from a great height. It was a theoretical design rather than a documented working device from the Renaissance.
The parachute concept is often confused with Leonardo’s flying-machine studies. A parachute does not provide powered flight or sustained lift; it reduces the speed of a fall by producing drag. Modern parachutes use flexible fabric, suspension lines, and a harness, while Leonardo’s proposal used a pyramid-like rigid structure.
In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nicholas tested a full-scale reconstruction made from materials consistent with Leonardo’s description. He landed safely using a modern backup parachute, although the reconstructed canopy was not used for the final landing.