Episode 1

**The first episode** of *Leonardo* aired on March 23, 2021 in Italy.

## Synopsis

*****Warning: The following text was translated using online tools and needs to be fixed.*****

In 1506,  in the Duchy of Milan, Leonardo da Vinci was arrested and interrogated by Stefano Giraldi, who accused him of having poisoned Caterina da Cremona, once a friend of the artist. Leonardo defends himself and tells Giraldi how he first met Caterina.

## Summary

***Warning: The following text was translated using online tools and needs to be fixed.***

Sixteen years earlier, in Florence: Leonardo is one of the aspiring apprentices of the renowned artist Andrea del Verrocchio. Together with his companions he must paint the portrait of the model Caterina da Cremona dressed as Diana, the goddess hunting. Leonardo is fascinated by the woman but he can't find the right inspiration, so he doesn't complete the job. Days later, Leonardo meets Caterina and asks her to pose for him again. The two forge a strong friendship, which cracks when Caterina sees a scar in the still incomplete drawing, which she had begged the artist to omit as part of a story she wanted to leave behind. Meanwhile, Verrocchio cannot find a solution to hoist Brunelleschi's dome heavy golden ball topped by a cross. Leonardo helps the master by designing a pulling system at night that allows the ball to be hoisted. The engineering operation succeeds perfectly, and Verrocchio is celebrated as the promoter of the success of the operation. In the evening, Leonardo is thrown out of the shop on charges of theft. In the morning, Caterina arrives in the workshop to return her painting to Leonardo, a reason for breaking, but failing to find it, she hands it over to Verrocchio himself who, recognizing his trait and talent, decides to call the artist back to the workshop as the first apprentice (he also understands the authorship of the sketches for the pulleys). Leonardo obviously accepts and immediately goes in search of Caterina, to apologize and thank her. Once again, the two are together talking and celebrating but, immediately after a kiss, they quarrel as Leonardo accuses Catherine of taking advantage of him only for his talent, and of wanting to use it to get to the comfortable life he so desires. Offended and wounded, Caterina orders him to leave. Meantime while he begins to work on the Baptism of Christ, of which Leonardo will have to paint one of the angels. Meantime Tommaso Masini, an aspiring apprentice of Verrocchio jealous of Leonardo, courts Caterina. Verrocchio is very impressed with Leonardo's angel, so much so that he goes so far as to say "The apprentice has surpassed the master". Noting his skill, the de-facto Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, proposes to Leonardo to go and work for him, but the artist refuses.

## Cast

* Aidan Turner as Leonardo
* Freddie Highmore as Stefano Giraldi
* Matilda De Angelis as Caterina da Cremona
* Giancarlo Giannini as Verrocchio
* Alessandro Sperduti as Tommaso Masini
* Carlos Cuevas as Salai
* Gabriel Lo Giudice as Marco
* Josafat Vagni as Giulio
* Andrew Knott as Alfonso
* Kit Clarke as Jacopo Saltarelli
* James D'Arcy as Ludovico Sforza
* Freddy Drabble as The Alchemist
* Robin Renucci as Piero da Vinci
* Mattia Napoli as Young Piero

## Gallery

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