When Leonardo was young, Florence was one of the most prosperous and lively cities in Italy. It was a hub for trade and a huge exporter of cloth. All sorts of fabrics were manufactured in Florence- including silk, velvet, brightly colored wools, and shiny brocades of gold and silver. The city was also famous for its goldsmiths, who fastened jewels onto plates and other gold objects.
Leonardo must have been amazed by the busy city streets of Florence. Bustling city life was very different from the quiet countryside of Vinci. The young artist must have been nervous as he walked into Verrocchio's studio. As he passed through the door, he noticed a beautiful landscape painting in the window. Inside, the work benches were cluttered with knives and chisels for sculpting, and sketches and plans. Easels held blank wooden pieces ready to be painted, and half-shaped sculptures stood on turntables.
Leonardo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let the smell of paints, wood, and clay fill his lungs. For the first time, he felt like a real artist. He was excited to learn from his new teacher. Leonardo was not the only student at the studio. Some of his classmates-such as Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Vanucci, and Lorenzo di Credi-would also go on to become well-known artists. The studio was similar to a university; the art students could have discussions about ideas and techniques.
After Leonardo had been studying for a while, his father provided him with an opportunity to demonstrate what he had learned. A peasant came to Piero da Vinci's home carrying a large round piece of wood from a fig tree. He thought it would make a nice shield. Shields were painted, round plaques that people hung outside the door of their home.
The peasant approached Leonardo's father and asked if perhaps he knew of someone who could paint the shield for a fair price. Piero da Vinci promised to find someone, and he brought the piece of wood to 13-year-old Leonardo, encouraging his son to try to make something out of it.
Eager to impress his father, Leonardo went out into the wilderness. He captured and killed small animals and insects to be the subjects of his painting. As he worked, he was surrounded by lizards, snakes, bats, dragonflies, and crickets. He painted a different feature from each animal-the eyes of one creature and the jaw from another, for example. From all of them, he created a fire-breathing dragon.
When he was done, Leonardo covered up the window, leaving only a single beam of light to fall on the shield. Eager to unveil his masterpiece, Leonardo called to his father. Piero da Vinci was not accustomed to such realistic artwork. For a moment, he thought the dragon was real, and he turned away. Leonardo beamed with pride in the knowledge that his work could create such a strong emotion.
Piero da Vinci knew the work was valuable. Instead of selling it to the peasant, he bought another shield-one with a simple heart and arrow painted on it. He gave the simple shield to the peasant, who cherished it for the rest of his life. Piero da Vinci then sold Leonardo's shield to a wealthy man, for a good price. Eventually, it is believed, the shield was bought by the Duke of Milan for three times the amount that Piero da Vinci had originally sold it for.
Around this time, Piero's da Vinci's wife, Albiera, died. After 12 years of being unable to have children, she died during the birth of her first child. She was buried in June 1464. Piero da Vinci quickly remarried a 17-year-old woman named Francesca. She died 11 years later, and Piero da Vinci married again, this time to a woman named Margnerita. At the time, Piero da Vinci was 47 years old and Margnerita was just 17. Over ten years, the couple had four sons and two daughters. When Margnerita died, Piero da Vinci took a fouth bride-Lucrezia. In seven years of marriage, Lucrezia had one daughter and five sons. The last son was born when Piero da Vinci was in his 70s.
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