An international survey has revealed that six living men are direct descendants of Leonardo da Vinci. The study, which lasted more than 30 years, was conducted by Italian and international scientists and proved the continuity of the male lineage of the Da Vinci family.
The data were obtained from the analysis of the Y chromosome, transmitted from father to son, in biological samples from 15 possible descendants. The genetic examination was carried out at the University of Florence, under the supervision of anthropologist David Caramelli and geneticist Elena Pilli. The compatibility found between the six individuals confirms the link with the paternal branch of the family of the Renaissance genius.
The result of the work will be published in the book Genia Da Vinci, signed by Alessandro Vezzosi, a scholar of Leonardo's life, and Agnese Sabato, a historian. The work reconstructs the family tree since 1331, covering 21 generations and more than 400 people.
Excavations and genetic investigations
At the same time, archaeologists are carrying out excavations at the church of Santa Croce in Vinci, where Leonardo's relatives, including his grandfather Antonio and three half-brothers, are believed to be buried. The aim is to extract DNA from these graves for comparison with living descendants.
This initiative is part of the international project “Leonardo DNA”, created in 2016, which has the support of institutions such as Rockefeller University and the J. Craig Venter Institute. The project aims to reconstruct Leonardo’s genetic profile, which may help identify biological traits in works and manuscripts attributed to him.
Book released
The book Genia Da Vinci will be released this Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the Vinci Theater, in the artist's hometown. The presentation will be accompanied by a documentary and a film about the research.
Among the themes addressed in the work are the alleged drawing of a “Unicorn Dragon”, found in a historic building in Vinci and provisionally attributed to Leonardo, and seven former family properties in the region, two of them directly linked to the master.
The study also revisits the origins of his mother, Caterina, possibly an oriental woman in a servile condition in Florence. The traits of the identified descendants were compared with Leonardo's self-portrait, and some of the artist's own observations on heredity were reinterpreted based on modern genetics.
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