Reading in Italian · Text 4

Leonardo da Vinci, un genio italiano

Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian genius

Read the Italian text first. Then reveal the English translation or alternate between the two languages. The Italian text uses the historical present to describe past events; the English translation uses past tenses where natural.

Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian geniusA1–A2

STEP BY STEP

Story, one sentence at a time

Read in Italian. Reveal the translation when you need it.

1 / 18

ReadingA1–A2 · 01

Leonardo da Vinci nasce a Vinci nel 1452

Translation

Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci in 1452.

ReadingA1–A2 · 02

Fin da bambino osserva la natura con grande curiosità

Translation

From childhood, he observed nature with great curiosity.

ReadingA1–A2 · 03

Gli piace disegnare animali, piante, paesaggi e persone

Translation

He enjoyed drawing animals, plants, landscapes and people.

ReadingA1–A2 · 04

Da giovane si trasferisce a Firenze insieme a suo padre

Translation

As a young man, he moved to Florence with his father.

ReadingA1–A2 · 05

Qui inizia a lavorare nella bottega di Andrea del Verrocchio

Translation

There he began working in Andrea del Verrocchio’s workshop.

ReadingA1–A2 · 06

Nella bottega impara la pittura, la scultura e altre arti

Translation

In the workshop he learned painting, sculpture and other arts.

ReadingA1–A2 · 07

Leonardo osserva attentamente tutto ciò che lo circonda

Translation

Leonardo carefully observed everything around him.

ReadingA1–A2 · 08

Scrive le sue idee e fa molti disegni nei suoi quaderni

Translation

He wrote down his ideas and made many drawings in his notebooks.

ReadingA1–A2 · 09

Spesso scrive da destra verso sinistra, come in uno specchio

Translation

He often wrote from right to left, as if in a mirror.

ReadingA1–A2 · 10

In seguito si trasferisce a Milano e lavora per Ludovico Sforza

Translation

Later he moved to Milan and worked for Ludovico Sforza.

ReadingA1–A2 · 11

A Milano dipinge L’Ultima Cena, una delle sue opere più famose

Translation

In Milan he painted The Last Supper, one of his most famous works.

ReadingA1–A2 · 12

Leonardo dipinge anche La Gioconda, il celebre ritratto di una donna dal sorriso misterioso

Translation

Leonardo also painted the Mona Lisa, the famous portrait of a woman with a mysterious smile.

ReadingA1–A2 · 13

Non è soltanto un artista, ma anche uno studioso e un inventore

Translation

He was not only an artist, but also a scholar and inventor.

ReadingA1–A2 · 14

Studia il corpo umano per capire come funziona

Translation

He studied the human body to understand how it worked.

ReadingA1–A2 · 15

Si interessa anche al volo, all’acqua e al movimento

Translation

He was also interested in flight, water and movement.

ReadingA1–A2 · 16

Nei suoi quaderni disegna macchine volanti, ponti e strumenti innovativi

Translation

In his notebooks he drew flying machines, bridges and innovative instruments.

ReadingA1–A2 · 17

Negli ultimi anni della sua vita si trasferisce in Francia

Translation

In the last years of his life, he moved to France.

ReadingA1–A2 · 18

Leonardo muore nel 1519, ma le sue opere e le sue idee continuano ancora oggi ad affascinare il mondo

Translation

Leonardo died in 1519, but his works and ideas continue to fascinate the world today.

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Reading in Italian