The purpose of the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project is to create insights into the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci through application of rapidly advancing tools in biology and anthropology in close association with expertise from history and the arts. The new detective technologies span genetics and genealogy, microbiology, physical anthropology, chemistry, hydraulics, and visualization. A principal means for insight would be a genomic profile of Leonardo.
At the outset of the Project in 2015 team members identified at least five routes that could lead to a credible DNA profile:
First, DNA obtained from relics in his tomb in Amboise, France. However, the integrity of the content of the tomb, created in August 1519 three months after his death, is uncertain.
Second, DNA from the bones of his father, half-brother, and other close relatives in the tombs beneath the floor of the Badia Fiorentina in Florence. However, the church has been renovated several times since the burials, so the locations of the tombs or caskets may be questioned, and additionally the remains may have suffered damage in the Florence floods of 1966 and on other occasions.
Third, DNA from living descendants of his half-brothers (Leonardo himself left no recorded offspring). Genealogical research has traced lines up to the present, and it may be possible to obtain samples from living family members as well as the tombs of intervening generations. However, the 19-20 generations may contain illegitimate or inaccurate paternity.
Fourth, DNA obtained from Leonardo’s notebooks or works of art. Of course, other individuals will have handled these materials, and so possibilities of contamination must be respected.
Fifth, other relics or materials associated with the life and work of Leonardo. Here, the challenge of establishing provenance arises, as well as contamination.
The strength of the project is that overlap or match of several DNA sources could provide high probability of origin. If for example, one finds a match between DNA of bones likely to come from his father or an early descendant and DNA of a living descendant of one of his half-brothers and DNA from a page of Leonardo’s notebooks, then the probability of a unique DNA signature is high. Development of the unique DNA signature would open the possibility of retrieving and reconstructing additional portions of Leonardo’s genome from a single source of DNA, such as a relic.
Why try to develop the signature and profile?
First, the signature would allow confirmation of the content of the tomb in Amboise and resolution of mysteries associated with it.
A deeper profile would potentially allow a range of insights. For example, it would give insight into Leonardo’s ancestry, which might have been an unusual mix. Some accounts suggest his mother, Caterina, a servant girl, came to Tuscany from lands along the Black Sea or the Middle East.
A deeper profile could also give insight into Leonardo’s unusual attributes, in particular, his extraordinary visual acuity. It could also allow a virtual reconstruction of Leonardo’s face and other characteristics.
Even a simple profile might contribute evidence in favor of attribution of works of art whose authorship is uncertain.
If DNA does allow authentication of other remains, such as bones or teeth, then it might also be possible to gain insight into the cause of Leonardo’s death, now unknown, his diet (believed to be vegetarian for most of his life), and other aspects of his life and work. Physical anthropologists involved in the project have superb forensic skills for such questions.
Other Benefits
While focused on Leonardo, techniques developed in the Project for extracting and sequencing DNA from centuries-old works of art and in the use of DNA for reliable attribution of works of art to artists should be broadly applicable.
While focused on human DNA sequences, the Project is also benefiting from access to specimens and artifacts to explore their microbiomes. Characterization of microbiomes of various surfaces (wood, paper, stone, etc.) may shed light on causes of degradation of works of art by, for example, oxidative bacteria and offer new strategies for conservation. Along with human DNA, microbiomes found on works associated with Leonardo might offer distinctive and revealing “signatures.”
Because of the exceptional worldwide interest in Leonardo, the Project offers not only the chance to develop new techniques and scholarly understanding, but also public engagement with cutting-edge science.
Phase 1
Distinguished physical anthropologists Henry de Lumley (Paris) and Brunetto Chiarelli (Florence) initiated the Project. Together they assembled a team consisting of eminent specialists from a variety of academic disciplines and based in different institutions in Europe and the USA (click here for a recent list). The Richard Lounsbery Foundation generously provided about $400,000 for Phase 1, while additional support came from the region of Tuscany and other sources.
The initial research led to the creation of a family tree of more than 20 generations that not only provides a wealth of information about the familial context in which Leonardo grew up, but allows the tracing of his Y-chromosome to his living male relatives. It also offers promise, though remote, to discover mitochondrial DNA through possible descendants of his mother.
Initial plans and results, including a Project summary written by Jesse Ausubel, who succeeded Prof. Chiarelli as chair of the Project, were published in an issue of Human Evolution. Application of anthropological expertise also allowed completion of a monograph on Leonardo as Anatomist.
Phase 2
With these premises, the Leonardo Project moved to Phase 2, involving development and application of specific scientific expertise in the analysis of ancient and degraded biological materials as well as historical researches to help establish the authenticity of, and priorities for, a range of investigations. Present work spans DNA extractions, human DNA analysis, microbial analysis (microbial metagenomic sequencing performed on collected swabs from centuries-old objects), pedigree drawings refinement, and experiments, e.g., to study how DNA in saliva or from skin cells degrades over time on various surfaces and mixed with various materials.
In addition to the partners identified here, the Project established cordial relations with the keepers of the Leonardo legacies in Amboise, the Leonardo Heritage Association (which represents interests of possible descendants), and with the research centers of restoration and conservation laboratories of relevant museums and libraries in Italy, France, Spain, Austria, and the USA. The new biological techniques are a powerful addition to the tools chemists and physicists now bring to conservation and related activities. The Project has aimed to stimulate workshops or colloquia to explore the possible value of various new biological techniques, not only in relation to Leonardo, between leaders in conservation science in museums and experts in life sciences in universities in the US and Europe. It has sought to foster forensic anthropology, paleopathology, and bioarchaeology.
The year 2019 marked the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s death, and many celebrations and exhibits took place including Madrid’s exposition on Leonardo Da Vinci: Los Rostros del Genio, to which the Project contributed. Years 2020–2022 were marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the Project operating mainly in a virtual mode and emphasizing analytical, theoretical, and editorial work, including publication of Actes du Colloque International d’Amboise: Leonardo de Vinci, Anatomiste. Pionnier de l’Anatomie comparée, de la Biomécanique, de la Bionique et de la Physiognomonie, edited by Henry de Lumley, CNRS editions, Paris. The book includes papers speculating about Leonardo’s extraordinary visual acuity as well as about his own pioneering biological insights. The Project also helped make Renaissance Florentine burial records freely accessible online for historical and medical scholarship.
During 2023 and 2024, the team enjoyed the resumption of excavations (in Vinci), sampling (in Prato and New York), and an in-person workshop (in Florence) as well as initiation of a line of experimental research to explore using Leonardo’s drawings of the flow of water to estimate his visual acuity. Discussion of legal and ethical aspects of the Project also deepened. Ausubel again summarized The Search for Leonardo’s Genome. 2025 witnessed landmark publications on protocols for extracting DNA from ancient paper and on Vinci family genealogy. Support for the Project continued from generous philanthropic foundations and individuals as well as voluntary efforts of most of the participants. The Project aims to conclude reporting in early 2026 on what has been accomplished so far.
Disclaimer
The Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project, Inc. (the “Project”) is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The Project intends to promote scholarship and research using the advanced tools in biology and anthropology to gain insights into the genomic profile of Leonardo da Vinci and to advance the science of such tools for future applications.
The Project does not own any relics, patents or proprietary techniques, nor does it engage in the authentication of artwork.
Inquiries should be directed to: info@theleonardoDNAproject.org
Website: Copyright 2025 The Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project, Inc.