Very little is known about Leonardo’s childhood
Other theories have been proposed, particularly that of art historian Martin Kemp, who suggested Caterina di Meo Lippi, an orphan that married supposably with aid from the Ser Piero and his family.[22][e][f] Ser Piero married Albiera Amadori—having been
betrothed to her the previous year—and after her death in 1462, went on to have three subsequent marriages.[20][25][g] From all the marriages, Leonardo eventually had 12 half-siblings, who were much younger than he was (the last was born when Leonardo was 40 years old) and with whom he had very little contact.[h]
Very little is known about Leonardo’s childhood and much is shrouded in myth, partially because of his biography in Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects (1550) from the 16th-century art historian Giorgio Vasari.[28][29] Tax records
indicate that by at least 1457 he lived in the household of his paternal grandfather, Antonio da Vinci,[12] but it is possible that he spent the years before then in the care of his mother in Vinci, either Anchiano or Campo Zeppi in the parish of San Pantaleone.[30][31]
He is thought to have been close with his uncle, Francesco da Vinci,[3] but his father was likely in Florence most of the time.[12] Ser Piero, who was the descendent of a long line of notaries, established an official residence in Florence by at least 1469 and led a successful career.[12] Despite his family history, Leonardo only received a basic and informal education in (vernacular) writing, reading and math, possibly because his artistic talents were recognized early.[12]
Later in life, Leonardo recorded his earliest memory, now in the in the Codex Atlanticus.[32] While writing on the flight of birds, he recalled as an infant when a kite came to his cradle and opened his mouth with its tail; commentators still debate whether the anecdote was an actual memory or a fantasy.[33][i]
