# The Life of Leonardo da Vinci

La Vita di Leonardo Da Vinci — in English, The Life of Leonardo da Vinci — is a 1971 Italian biographical drama miniseries created by Renato Castellani. The series is based largely on the biography of Leonardo elaborated by Giorgio Vasari in his Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori, dramatizing the life of the Italian Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), starred by Philippe Leroy. It features a number of famous historical figures from the 15th and 16th centuries have been presented in the series.
in 1972, The Life of Leonardo da Vinci became the first wholly non-English language series to win a Golden Globe and be nominated for one of the three Outstanding Series categories; the latter still the only series to be nominated this feat until Squid Game in 2022, which was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series.

## Synopsis

Each episode tells a part of the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci, from his birth to his death in France in the arms of King Francis I. The particularity of the series is to stage the narrator in the 20th century who moves through the places of the story, and compares the events of the artist's life with the sources of the time.

## Cast

* Philippe Leroy as Leonardo da Vinci
* Riad Gholmie as Francis I of France
* Giampiero Albertini as Ludovico Sforza
* Renzo Rossi as Sandro Botticelli
* Bruno Cirino as Michelangelo
* Marta Fischer as Isabella of Aragon
* Enrico Osterman as Niccolò Machiavelli
* Mario Molli as Andrea del Verrocchio
* Carlo Simoni as Francesco Melzi
* Bianca Toccafondi as Isabella d'Este
* Bruno Piergentili as Salaì (Gian Giacomo Caprotti)

## Production

The miniseries was written and directed by Renato Castellani, produced by RAI, Televisión Española, ORTF and Istituto Luce, and Castellani wrote the screenplay. It was filmed entirely on location in Italy and France. The total runtime of the five episodes is nearly five hours.
The final credits feature Ornella Vanoni singing Leonardo's famous aphorism, the musical basis for which was created by the Romanian composer Roman Vlad. The piece was recorded under the title "La canzone di Leonardo".

## Release

In Italy, the series was broadcast in five episodes from October 24 to November 21, 1971, on Programma Nazionale. It was made in color, even though the Italian government had not yet adopted this technique at the time. Later, the series was distributed in the United States by CBS under English-language dubbing, which aired it from August 13, 1972 to September 10, 1972. In Quebec, the series was broadcast from September 7, 1973 on Radio-Canada Television, and in France from May 2, 1974 on the second channel of ORTF and rebroadcast in April 1980 on the first channel.
Color broadcasts in Italy officially began only in 1977: for the occasion, the series was re-broadcast to allow the public to see it in color.

### Dubbing error

In the English-dubbed narration, Ludovico Sforza's Milan is said to have fallen in 1499 to the French King Louis VII (reigned 1137–1180). The reference should be to Louis XII (reigned 1498–1515).

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 1973 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Television Special | Best Television Special | Won |
| 1973 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama/Comedy – Limited Episodes | RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana | Nominated |
| 1973 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Drama/Comedy – Limited Episodes) | Philippe Leroy | Nominated |

## Alternate titles

* Das Leben Leonardo da Vincis (West Germany; recut version)
* I, Leonardo (USA)
* The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci (USA)
* Léonard de Vinci (France)
* Жизнь Леонардо да Винчи (СССР)
* Животът на Леонардо да Винчи (Bulgaria)
* La vida de Leonardo Da Vinci (Venezuela)
* Leonardo Da Vinci élete (Hungary, 4 January 1974)