Léonard le Toscan

Overview

By the end of the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci is already regarded as one of the most brilliant minds of his time. Yet behind the admired genius lies a complex man, marked by his illegitimate birth, his doubts, his wounds, and the rumors that would follow him throughout his life.

At the heart of this journey lies a unique relationship with Salaï, a young, rebellious, and elusive disciple. Between fascination, admiration, attachment, and a refusal to be dependent, their destinies intertwine over several decades.

From Milan to Florence, from Rome to the court of Francis I, Nicole Fabre revisits the Italian Renaissance through the figures who shaped it: Ludovico il Moro, Cesare Borgia, the Medici, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

Beyond the legend, the novel explores the man behind the icon and examines what history has sometimes left in the shadows.