The famous renaissance man loved animals so much that he would often buy caged animals just to set them free. Peta would’ve loved him. Here’s more information about Leonardo:
Leonardo DaVinci was the illegitimate son of a 25 year old notary, Ser Piero, and a peasant girl, Caterina. He was born in 1452 just outside of Florence, Italy in a small town called Vinci. His dad kept custody of him from the time he was an infant and his mom got married and moved to another town.
Due to his father’s occupation, he was able to get a hold of scholarly journals and letters through friends and family. The town of Vinci was known for its painting tradition and therefore Leo was introduced at a very young age to the art.
Between 1490 and 1495 he developed his habit of recording his studies in meticulously illustrated notebooks. His work covered four main themes: painting, architecture, the elements of mechanics, and human anatomy.