Early Life & Education

• Born illegitimate, Leonardo spent his youth sketching and observing nature.
• After moving to Florence, he entered the prestigious workshop of Andrea Verrocchio, where he learned not only painting but also the chemistry behind pigments and the mechanics of sculpture and engineering.

🎨 Artistic Breakthroughs

• By 1472, Leonardo was a member of the painters’ guild and began producing original works.
• His first known portrait was of Ginevra de’ Benci, and his collaboration on Verrocchio’s Baptism of Christ was so impressive that legend claims the master retired his brush.

⚙️ Engineering Mindset

• Leonardo’s early involvement in lifting Brunelleschi’s massive dome sphere sparked a lifelong fascination with machines and mechanics.
• He later designed fantastical inventions, from machine guns and tanksto automated kitchen spits and submarines, many adapted from earlier ideas but improved with Leonardo's obsessive precision.

🕵️ Scandal & Rejection

• In 1476, Leonardo was accused (and acquitted) of sodomy, a charge that tainted his reputation.
• He also struggled with feelings of inadequacy due to his illegitimacy and lack of formal education, despite building a massive personal library.

🤹 From Florence to Milan

• Tired of Florence’s politics and unfinished commissions (like The Adoration of the Magi), Leonardo headed to Milan in 1481.
• His application letter to Ludovico Sforza emphasized military engineering over painting—positioning himself as the Renaissance’s ultimate multi-hyphenate.

🎭 Court Entertainer & Inventor

• In Milan, Leonardo served as engineer, party planner, set designer, and even hairstylist.
• He dabbled in robotics, stage effects, and was inspired by thinkers like Ibn al-Haytham, whose work on optics laid the groundwork for Leonardo’s legendary camera obscura prank.

👂 Tune in to discover how a restless, illegitimate boy turned into one of history’s most enigmatic polymaths—blending art, science, scandal, and a flair for the theatrical.

Starting from reasons to have a good cry, particularly concerning hair, we then head to Vinci, outside Florence in the mid 1400's to witness the birth and early childhood of Leonardo to see the start of some of the characteristics that will accompany him for the rest of his life. We hear about who gave and didn't give him affection and how his status as an illegitimate child was not all for the worst.

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In this episode, we dive into the dramatic papacy of Pope Leo X, exploring his efforts to secure Medici power, his architectural and social reforms in Rome, and his role in the early days of the Protestant Reformation. We track how his favoritism toward Florence shaped papal policy, the challenges he faced with Martin Luther, and the growing religious divide that would soon shake Europe to its core.

We also spotlight Leo's political maneuvers in Italy, from annexing Urbino and Perugia to negotiating alliances with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. And of course, there's a bit of colorful historical storytelling—like Machiavelli getting upstaged by two dogs, and the dramatic origins of Giovanni delle Bande Nere.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• How Pope Leo X used the papacy to benefit the Medici family and Florence.
• His land reform policies that helped Roman farmers.
• The significance of the Duchy of Urbino and Perugia joining the Papal States.
• Why Martin Luther’s ideas gained traction—and how Leo X underestimated the Reformation.
• The impact of the printing press and vernacular language in spreading revolutionary ideas.
• The cultural comeback of Matilda of Tuscany and her symbolic power in German-Italian relations.
• The complex political chess match between Pope Leo X, Charles V, and Francis I of France.
• The death and legacy of Leo X—and how his actions paved the way for future Medici power play