What type of parachute did Leonardo da Vinci describe in his Codex Atlanticus?

Leonardo da Vinci described a pyramidal parachute in the Codex Atlanticus.

His design used a rigid wooden frame covered with linen cloth. Leonardo wrote that a person could jump from a great height while holding the structure, which would slow the descent. The design is often described as about seven metres high and seven metres wide at its base, although the surviving drawing and notes are the main evidence for those dimensions.

Leonardo did not build or test the parachute. Centuries later, practical parachutes developed through experiments by inventors including Louis-Sébastien Lenormand and André-Jacques Garnerin. In 2000, Adrian Nichols tested a modern replica of Leonardo’s design and reported that it worked, although he used a safer modern parachute during the actual landing.

A common mix-up is calling Leonardo’s design a modern round parachute. Its defining feature is its pyramid-like canopy and supporting frame.