(1) The Italian painter, architect, engineer and innovator died on May 2, 1519, in north-western France, at the age of 67.

(3) Da Vinci is perhaps best known for his talent as an artist which brought him fame during his lifetime — a somewhat rare occurrence at the time.

(5) Among his most famous works are The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. The second painting, exhibited at the Louvre in Paris, received the highest known insurance valuation in the world when it was estimated at $100 million in 1962.

(8) His thirst for knowledge and his interest in sciences also saw him draw botany, animals and anatomical sketches.

(10) He also drew and wrote detailed studies into light, the physical properties of water and the flight of birds.

(12) A keen engineer, he also spent time as a military architect for Cesare Borgia, during which he toured and surveyed the Papal States of Romagna and the Marches and sketched city plans and maps, "creating early examples of aspects of modern cartography," according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

 

(15) A precursor, Da Vinci is also credited for inventing — or at the very least imagining and sketching — technology that would not see the light of day for centuries. Among them are the helicopter, the parachute and the tank.

(18) Da Vinci's musings into art, sciences and engineering were carefully recorded by the polymath himself and continue to fascinate today because they reveal how far ahead of his time the artist was.

TIDEY, Alice. Leonardo da Vinci: Why he still fascinates 500 years after his death. Euronews. Available at: <https://www.euronews.com/2019/05/02/leonardo-da-vinci-why-he-still-fascinates-500-years-after-his-death>. Acessed: MAY, 8th 2019 (adapted).

Da Vinci is believed to be “ahead of his time” (line 19) since he