Early Life, Family and Training Born Paolo di Dono in 1397, Paolo Uccello emerged from a background that blended practical skill with social standing. His upbringing in Pratovecchio, Italy, was shaped by the diverse influences of his parents. His father, Dono di Paolo, worked as a barber-surgeon, a profession requiring steady hands and a precise understanding of the human form. In contrast, his mother, Antonia, brought the refinement of a Florentine noble family to his household. This intersection of the medicinal and the aristocratic provided a unique foundation for a man who would eventual…