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Leonardo daVinci’s Vineyard, Milan
In 1498, the Duke of Milan, Ludovico “Il Moro” gifted Leonardo daVinci sixteen rows of a vineyard just three years after the artist completed a commission for Il Moro to be displayed at the Santa Maria delle Grazie refectory. Il Moro was so pleased with the work- The Last Supper – he gifted daVinci sixteen rows of vineyard in the land behind his houses. daVinci is believed to have used the vineyards as a way to unwind after a day of work. Although the French imprisoned Il Moro in 1500 and confiscated the land, daVinci reclaimed the vineyards over time. He split the property between a student, Giacomo Capriotto, and a servant, Giovanbattista Villani upon his death. The vineyards continued to be passed down over generations, tended by local monks, until it disappeared from the records.