Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in the hill town of Vinci, in the region of Florence. He was the illegitimate son of a Florentine notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant woman, Caterina.

In 1476 Leonardo was accused of sodomy in an anonymous denunciation — the charges were dropped, but the incident left a mark. He spent much of his life hiding his personal life.