10 Things you didn't know about Leonardo Da Vinci.

Beyond painting the Mona Lisa, the old master had a treasure trove of bizarre and secret quirks that add a whole new layer to his story, and chances are you had no clue about them. Today, we're going to be looking at the life of the great Leonardo da Vinci. Beyond his well-known achievements, like inventing the parachute and painting the Last Supper, there are intriguing layers to his life that often escape public awareness. What secrets did this renaissance genius harbor? What lesser-known pursuits and peculiarities shaped his extraordinary legacy? Join us as we delve into 10 things you probably didn't know about da Vinci. Let's dive in. 1. Born out of wedlock, Leonardo da Vinci was the offspring of Katrina, a peasant, and Sir Piero, a lawyer and landlord. Raised initially by his mother until the age of 5, he later came under the care of his father. His family actually extended to 12 half-siblings, all considerably younger, with the last one being born when Leonardo reached 40. 2. And believe it or not, Leonardo's journey into brilliance didn't involve traditional schooling at all. While he acquired the basics of reading, writing, and elementary mathematics during his youth, formal education was not part of his life. The young da Vinci roamed freely through the Tuscan countryside, using this time outdoors to observe the natural world keenly. His journals reflect a particular fascination with water and the hunting techniques of birds of prey. 3. Beyond his artistic and scientific prowess, Leonardo possessed unique traits. Ambidextrous and dyslexic, he had an extraordinary ability to draw with one hand while writing backwards with the other, resulting in a mirror-image script that posed a challenge for most scientists to decipher. His penchant for secrecy and a love for mystery intertwined seamlessly with this aspect of his character. 4. Leonardo's inventive spirit was nothing short of extraordinary. His design portfolio included groundbreaking concepts such as an armored car, a scythed chariot, a pile driver, a revolving crane, a pulley, a lagoon dredge, a flying ship, concentrated solar power, an adding machine, and the double hull. Additionally, he even came up with a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics, showcasing a mind that transcended the boundaries of his time. 5. You probably didn't know this, but Mona Lisa might not have been da Vinci's magnum opus. Back in the late 1400s, he was commissioned to sculpt a massive 20-foot statue of the Duke of Milan's dad on a horse. The artist spent 17 years sketching and modeling for the sculpture. But guess what? In 1499, the French army invaded Milan, and the sculpture went up in smoke. 6. Ever wondered why the sky is blue? Well, you wouldn't have guessed it. But da Vinci was the brainiac who first answered the question and concluded that it was all about how the air scatters sunlight. 7. Commonly known as the greatest artist of our time, Leonardo also excelled at many other hobbies. He was actually a rock star at the Milanese court, but not as an artist. He was an excellent musician, a specialist with the lyre, and composing music. 8. Besides immersing himself in his work and hobbies, he was a strong advocate for animal rights. A vegetarian throughout his entire life, his love for animals ran so deep that he steered clear of eating them. He'd also buy caged birds destined for a life in captivity and would set them free in the wild. 9. Many people wonder why such a great personality had no wife or children, and the answer might surprise you. Historians uncovered that Leonardo might have actually preferred male company. At 24, he was caught with a group of other men and charged with sodomy. The charges were dropped, but it rattled da Vinci enough that he kept that side of his life completely sealed off. 10. But one of the strangest facts about the artist that you might not have known was that da Vinci loved to dissect corpses. His job at the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence involved cutting up human bodies. It was unusual, but that experience fueled over 200 pages of drawings, giving da Vinci certifiable knowledge of the human body. Check out his anatomical drawings and you'll see what we mean. He was a true mastermind of art and science. Who would have thought one person could leave such a lasting mark? From Mona Lisa's mysterious smile to his doodles of flying machines, da Vinci was way ahead of his time. With this, we're signing off for today, hoping this video brought something new for you. Before you leave, comment to tell us what you thought of the painting while subscribing to our channel, and roll the key to hit the bell icon to get notified from us for the upcoming videos. See you all next time!