Leonardo da Vinci: A Renaissance Polymath Leonardo da Vinci, born April 15, 1452, in Anchiano, near Vinci, Italy, remains one of the most iconic and endlessly fascinating figures in Western history. More than simply a painter, he was a true polymath – an artist, scientist, inventor, anatomist, architect, engineer, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and musician. His life spanned nearly 67 years, during which he relentlessly pursued kn…