Was Leonardo da Vinci gay?
09/08/25 10:09pm
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This post was sourced from submitted reader questions and posted by wikiHow Editorial Staff.
Leonardo da Vinci was private about his personal life, but some historians believe that he was gay. He wasn't known to have any public relationships and he remained unmarried for his entire life. In one of his many notebooks, he wrote, "The act of procreation and anything that has any relation to it is so disgusting," which many people think means he wasn't straight and could have been celibate.
While da Vinci was accused of sodomy with another man in 1476, the charges were dismissed and never proven. Some people believe that he could be gay because he only had male pupils, including Salaì whom he started training at age 10, but only men were allowed to become painters at the time.
It's unlikely that we'll ever know for sure if Leonardo da Vinci was gay, but share what you think!
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While da Vinci was accused of sodomy with another man in 1476, the charges were dismissed and never proven. Some people believe that he could be gay because he only had male pupils, including Salaì whom he started training at age 10, but only men were allowed to become painters at the time.
It's unlikely that we'll ever know for sure if Leonardo da Vinci was gay, but share what you think!
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