The Origins of the Genius

Leonardo’s Birthplace ticket

Leonardo’s Birthplace in Anchiano is located about 3 km from the village of Vinci, along a route lined with splendid olive trees resting on the iconic Tuscan hills. It can be reached on foot via the Strada Verde, where you can also admire the fish ladder—a stepped stone structure that directed river waters into an artificial canal flowing by the Doccia Mill, mentioned in one of the sheets of the Codex Atlanticus.

Upon arriving at the evocative Birthplace of Leonardo, he himself welcomes visitors through a fascinating holographic installation, telling his story within the very walls where he was born and raised—a memorable life deeply connected to his native land.

From the central room, furnished with a 15th-century fireplace and the Da Vinci family crest carved in pietra serena stone, visitors proceed to the right room, where a scale model illustrates Leonardo’s final journey—the one that in 1516 took him from Rome to Amboise, France. Among the panels and multimedia displays dedicated to Leonardo’s life, there is also a video created to mark the seventieth anniversary of the opening of the birthplace as a museum, recounting its history and restoration work.

The adjacent farmhouse, which houses the ticket office and bookshop, concludes the visit with a room dedicated to the Paesaggio 8P from the Uffizi Galleries. Here, a video projection compares Leonardo’s drawing with real images of the Valdinievole area, suggesting a view inspired by these landscapes.

If arriving on foot from Vinci village along the Strada Verde (itinerary no. 14), visitors can admire the ancient path of about 2 km immersed in the countryside and landscapes that first inspired the young Leonardo. The rural route winds through the typical Tuscan cultural landscape characterized by terraces and fields cultivated with vineyards and olive groves, following the path of what was known in the 19th century as the Botanical Way.

In the “Leonardo and Painting” exhibition spaces on Via Roma, visitors can experience all of Leonardo’s painting masterpieces reproduced in high definition and at full scale (1:1), including the Adoration of the Magi and the Mona Lisa. A unique place to immerse yourself—after a journey into the mind of Leonardo the engineer and scientist—into the world of Leonardo the artist.

GET READY FOR YOUR VISIT BY DOWNLOADING THE LEONARDO MUSEUM APP

Duration: 30 minutes (house visit only) – about 1 hour and 30 minutes (house visit + Strada Verde + “Leonardo and Painting” section)

Parking: Piazzale Dent, near the Birthplace

Accessibility information

Shuttle service