Leonardo Divinci

Hello there! My name is Leonardo, but most people know me as Leonardo da Vinci. I was born a long, long time ago, in a charming little town called Vinci, tucked away in the rolling green hills of Italy. Even as a young boy, my eyes were wide open, soaking in every single detail of the world. I loved to wander through the fields, watching the busy bees hum around colorful flowers and the birds soar through the bright blue sky. I’d lie on my back in the soft grass, feeling the warm sun on my face, and wonder, 'Why do the clouds float? How do birds fly so high?' My fingers were always busy too, sketching what I saw in notebooks I carried everywhere. I’d draw the twisty branches of ancient olive trees, the funny shape of a frog’s leg, or the stern face of a farmer. Everything fascinated me! I was just a boy who couldn't stop asking 'why?' and couldn’t stop trying to capture the world with my drawings.

When I was about fourteen, I moved to the bustling city of Florence. It was a big change from my quiet town! I became an apprentice to a very wise and kind master artist named Andrea del Verrocchio. His workshop was like a magical place, filled with the smell of paint and clay. I learned to mix colors until they swirled like rainbows, how to carve stone until it looked soft as butter, and how to bring clay to life with just my hands. Master Verrocchio taught me so much, but he also noticed that my curiosity stretched beyond just painting and sculpting. I loved to peek into how things worked, whether it was the gears of a clock or the muscles that made a horse gallop. I’d spend hours observing, sketching, and trying to understand the secret workings of everything around me.

Later, my journey took me to the magnificent city of Milan. There, I had the incredible honor of working for the Duke! Imagine that! He gave me so many exciting projects. I designed amazing contraptions, like machines that could lift heavy stones, and even helped create dazzling stage shows with moving scenery and clever illusions. It was here that I painted some of my most famous works, like the Mona Lisa, whose smile still puzzles people today, and The Last Supper, which tells such a powerful story. But even while I was painting, my mind was always buzzing with other ideas. I loved to study the human body, carefully drawing the bones and muscles, and I spent countless hours observing the flight of birds and the flow of water. I filled thousands of pages with my notes and drawings, trying to unravel the mysteries of nature.

I traveled to many different cities throughout my life, always with my notebooks in hand, always learning, always creating. I learned that painting was wonderful, and inventing was exciting, but the greatest joy for me was understanding how everything in the world, from the smallest ant to the grandest star, was connected. It’s like one giant, beautiful puzzle! I hope that my curiosity, my art, and my endless questions inspire you too. Keep your eyes open, ask 'why?', and never stop exploring the amazing world around you. You never know what wonders you might discover!