Il Leonardino

Il Leonardino is a cultural-naturalistic-spiritual itinerary following the footsteps of young Leonardo da Vinci.
The brainchild of Alessandra Borghese with the collaboration of Gianpaolo and Ilaria Lastrucci and Fabio Borghese.
Promoted by the Fondazione Leonardo 500 and the Borghese family, owners of the Villa Medicea of Montevettolini, as a tribute to this territory for the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death. Il Leonardino will remain a living path and be consolidated with various targeted initiatives in the coming months and years.
Il Leonardino is a cultural-naturalistic-spiritual itinerary in the footsteps of the young Leonardo da Vinci for retracing the pathways, valleys, woods and hills between Anchiano and Montevettolini, while enjoying a unique experience amidst the places of Leonardo's childhood.
The idea of this itinerary stems from his first drawing dated 1473 with a note in his own hand "Di Santa Maria della Neve addì 5 daghosto 1473".
We do not know exactly what Leonardo wanted to represent, or exactly where he made the drawing, but according to some scholars it is probably an imaginative, virtual scene created by the young genius as a bird’s eye view over the Valdinievole between Anchiano and Montevettolini. In fact, on 5 August each year a religious festival used to be held at the Madaonna della Neve Oratory in Montevettolini
In Leonardo’s time there was only a tabernacle housing a fresco of the Madonna and Child and the Saints, then a small church was erected in the 17th century that can still be visited today.
Young Leonardo’s first drawing is therefore proof that he did pass through the sites chosen by Il Leonardino.