Leonardo da Vinci's Caucasian Roots Discovered in Italy

Italian Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci’s mother was a Circassian, claims Italian writer and literature professor Carlo Vecce. This information was reported by the Avvenire newspaper.

Vecce discovered a document regarding the woman’s release in the Florence state archive, which was signed in November 1452, about six months after Leonardo’s birth. The notarial act states that she was the daughter of a Circassian prince named Yakov (Jacob). The document was signed by notary Piero da Vinci, the future painter's father.

According to the scholar, Caterina came to Florence from the Caucasus via Venice as a slave. In Tuscany, she worked as a seamstress and was a hired laborer. Vecce’s discovery suggests that Leonardo may not have been her firstborn.

The author has developed the story of the Caucasian princess in his new book, which he describes as “documentary fiction based on real events.” He stated that he relied on other scientific documents and studies.

Vecce works as a professor of Italian literature at Naples’ L’Orientale University and is considered a leading expert on da Vinci.

Earlier, reports emerged about the opening of an exhibition on underground masters at the Russian Museum from the 1960s to the 1980s.