What pyramid-shaped parachute did Leonardo da Vinci describe in a 1485 manuscript?

Leonardo da Vinci described a pyramid-shaped parachute in a manuscript dated about 1485.

His design used linen stretched over a wooden framework. Leonardo wrote that a person could jump from a great height while protected by the structure, provided the fabric was sufficiently sealed against air. The design was never tested during his lifetime, so it was a theoretical invention rather than a working parachute.

Leonardo’s sketch is often cited as an early parachute concept, but it was not the first practical parachute. The modern parachute developed much later through experiments with fabric canopies, suspension lines, and controlled deployment. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nicholas tested a full-scale replica based on Leonardo’s description and reported that it descended successfully, although he used a modern parachute for safety.

The design is sometimes confused with Leonardo’s other flying-machine studies, especially his ornithopter. A parachute descends by creating drag, while an ornithopter is intended to generate lift through flapping wings.