Da Vinci's Wisdom: The Man Behind The Code

If you have a television, radio or read the newspaper, you will have heard of the big controversial subject that has spread like wildfire across the world! Some churches are looking to even bring lawsuits against this book's author because of its allegations.

Of course, it is Dan Brown's best selling novel, "The Da Vinci Code", Written in 2002 and the popularity has been growing ever since.

But what about the REAL man behind the code? Leonardo Da Vinci the man.

Leonardo was born into a family of country notaries and was himself appointed as the notary to the Signoria of Florence before he began his quest of painting. He was born illegitimate to his mother Catrina while with Ser Piero .Afterwards she married Acccabriga di Piero del Vaccha of Vinci, thus his last name. His father married four times and had eleven children by his third and fourth wives. It is sometimes suggested that Leonardo may have had these numbers in mind when he was painting in his famous "Last Supper" the figures of eleven Apostles and one outcast?

While Leonardo was studying under the tutelage of Andrea del Verrocchio, a great Florentine sculptor and artist, he met other craftsman, and youthful painters, among them was Michelangelo Botticeli. At that time Michelangelo was a jovial habitué of the Poetical Supper Club, and who had not yet given any premonitions of becoming the poet, mystic, and visionary of later times.

Leonardo's talent outscored all of the other students under Verrocchio, that while his mentor was painting the "Baptism of Christ", he allowed Leonardo to paint in one of the attendant angels holding some vestments. When it was finished, it was clearly revealed the angel whom Leonardo painted was so much better than the portion executed by his master.

The stories behind the paintings of "Mona Lisa" and the incredible path of the "Last Supper" painting took just to bring it to the public are seldom heard but very intriguing.

There is so much more about Leonardo's personal life detailed from his discovered notebooks; his speculations, his interests, his thoughts on morals, and his sense of humor. Yes, clearly his sense of humor is expressed in his fables and jests.

Even what he had written in his will: "... requesting sixty poor men to carry sixty tapers at his funeral" and more.

Truly the name of Leonard Da Vinci stood for much more than a mere painter, he was an inventor, a sculptor, a genius.