1. Leonardo was the love child of Caterina, a peasant, and Ser Piero, a lawyer and landlord. He was homeschooled and lacked a formal education in Greek and Latin.
2. He was an accomplished lyre player. When he was first presented at the Milanese court, it was as a musician, not an artist or inventor.
3. Leonardo narrowly beat a sodomy rap—possibly involving one of his male models—brought against him by Florentine officials.
