Leonardo was born in 1452 in the small town of Vinci. In the 1460 the family decided to settle in Florence, where Leonardo was given the best education that Florence could offer. In about 1466 he was an apprenticed to Andrea del Verrocchio, a Florentine painter and scultor. In Verrocchio's workshop Leonardo was introduced to many activities such as sculptural projects and paintings. Finally in 1478 Leonardo became an independent master on his own. In 1482 Leonardo entered the service of the duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza after writing a letter to the duke describing his mastery in engineering. During his long stay in Milan, Leonardo also produced paintings and drawings theater designs, architectural drawings, and models for the dome of Milan Cathedral. While living in Milan he was also commission by Ludovico to build a colossal bronze monument to Francesco Sforza in the courtyard of Castello Sforzesco. However this commission was short...