Time Line of Leonardo Da Vinci life:

Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 in Vinci, the
illegitemate son of Master Piero, a public notary, and
his companion Caterina. At age 17, Leonardo moved
with his father to Florence, where Leonardo
apprenticed to Verrocchio, where his brilliance soon
eclipsed that of his master.

In 1472 Leonardo became a member of the painter's
guild of Florence. In 1476 he was denounced by the
Night Watch, but was acquited of the charge of
immoral conduct.

One of his most popular early works, "The Adoration
of the Magi," was painted in 1481 for the Monastery of
San Donato a Scopeto as an altar piece. It was never
finished due to his departure for Milan, where he
offered his services to Duke Ludovico il Moro. He
worked on the Duomo in Milan and the Duomo and
Castle in pavia; and painted the Madonna of the Rocks
and the Last Supper at this time. He also set up
festivals for the Duke and claimed to be an expert in
military engineering and arms.

In 1499 Ludovico il Moro fled Milan ahead of
invading French troops. The Gascon bowmen of Louis
XII used Leonardo's model for the equestrian statue of
Francesco Sforza for target practice. Soon afterwards,
Leonardo left Milan inspite of the evident good-will of
the French authorities.

During the next few years, Leonardo wandered from
Mantua, in the court of Isabella d'Este; Venice, where
he was consultant for architectural matters from 1495
to 1499; to Florence; before becoming military
engineer for Cesare Borgia between 1502 and 1503.

The death of Pope Alexander VI changed the
fortunes of Duke Valentino, and Leonardo returned to
Florence in 1503, remaining there until 1506. The
Florentine Republic commissioned him to execute a
large fresco of the battle of Anghiari for one of the walls
of the Sala del Gran Consiglio in the Palazzo della
Signioria facing a fresco by Michelangelo, one of his
rivals. Leonardo experimented with a new technique of
fresco, which deteriorated quickly and eventually was
lost.

It was in Florence that Leonardo had his greatest
following, and it was during his years there that he
painted such classics as the Mona Lisa.

In 1506 Leonardo obtained temporary leave from the
Florentine Republic in order to return to Milan, where
he was to finish certain projects which he had left
incomplete due to his earlier hasty departure. In Milan
he once again came into contact with the French, who
repeatedly asked the Florentine Republic to extend
Leonardo's leave.

Between 1507 and 1508 Leonardo visited Florence
to settle his father's estate. He then spent many years in
Milan with the title of "peintre et ingenieur ordinarie".
He devoted much of his time to scientific studies and to
the engineering projects such as the channeling of the
course of the Adda river.

The return of the Sforza family in 1512 forced
Leonardo to leave Milan once again. From 1513 to
1516 he was in Rome at the Palazzo Belvedere under
the protection of Giuliano dei Medici, the brother of
Pope Leo X. Here Leonardo came into contact with
Michelangelo and Raphael; both younger, and both
rivals.

After the death of Giuliano dei Medici, Leonardo
accepted an invitation from his French friends and
moved to the castle of Cloux near Amboise, where he
stayed with his faithful pupil Melzi.

Leonardo died on May 2, 1519, and was buried in
the cloister of San Fiorentino in Amboise.