Leonardo Missed Italian Language Class?

Leonardo da Vinci, the famous "Renaissance Man" known for his prowess in a number of disciplines such as art, science, and technology, might not have mastered his Italian ABC's.

A new exhibit on display in Milan's Sforzesco Castle, which includes designs, sketches, and notes by the artist, suggests that he might not have been proficient in Italian. According to ANSA, the artist's notes includes evidence of his painstaking efforts to improve his language skills. The Codex Trivulzianus contains a list of some 8,000 words from common spoken Italian, which experts believe he compiled in an effort to improve his ability to express himself.

Trained in a Florentine workshop, Leonardo received no classical education in either Latin or Greek - a gap in his knowledge that he found problematic when he arrived at the sophisticated Milanese Court of the Sforzas in 1482. Leonardo also had little grasp of formal, written Italian, a "new language" that was just starting to replace the widely varying dialects spoken across the territory previously.

A fresh analysis of the list - penned, as was Leonardo's custom, in mirror writing - has led experts to conclude that it was his way of trying to keep up with the more urbane literary talents he encountered at the court. By examining his choice of words, they have managed to work out several of the texts that he studied as part of his efforts to improve his grasp of the language.