What mechanical creature did Leonardo da Vinci design to move like a lion?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a mechanical lion, an automaton intended to walk and open its chest.

The lion was created for a royal ceremony in France in 1515, according to historical accounts. When it reached the king, a panel reportedly opened to reveal fleurs-de-lis, the emblem associated with the French monarchy. The mechanism is usually connected with Leonardo’s work for King Francis I after Leonardo moved to France.

The original machine has not survived, so details of its construction are uncertain. Modern reconstructions have used Leonardo’s drawings and descriptions of the event to recreate a walking animal powered by gears and other mechanisms.

The mechanical lion is sometimes confused with Leonardo’s earlier mechanical knight. The knight was a human-shaped automaton, while the lion was an animal-shaped ceremonial machine. Both demonstrate Leonardo’s interest in programmed motion, theatrical engineering, and the imitation of living forms.