Leonardo da Vinci drew a pyramidal parachute in a manuscript dated about 1485.
His design consists of a rigid, pyramid-shaped wooden frame covered with linen cloth. Leonardo proposed that a person could descend safely from a height inside or beneath the structure. The drawing is part of his wider investigation of air resistance and falling bodies, rather than an isolated fantasy about jumping.
The pyramidal form is often compared with modern parachutes because both use a large surface to slow descent. However, Leonardo's proposed canopy was much heavier and structurally different from the flexible fabric parachutes used today. A modern parachute depends on a lightweight canopy that inflates and changes shape in moving air.
The design was not tested by Leonardo, and historians distinguish the sketch from a proven working parachute. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nicholas made a successful descent using a replica, although he used a reserve parachute for safety. The experiment showed that the concept could generate enough drag, not that Leonardo had created a practical modern parachute.