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What strange instrument did Leonardo invent?

Trivia: What strange instrument did Leonardo invent?

Viola organista
Accordion
Hydraulophone
Harmonica

Correct Answer: Viola organista

So why is this answer correct? : The viola organista is best described as a cross between a harpsichord and a cello. Like most of Leonardo da Vinci’s designs, the instrument was never made by Leonardo himself. Centuries after the artist’s death, a Polish pianist named Slawomir Zubrzycki brought the design to life and debuted the creation at a concert in Krakow, Poland, in 2013.

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Leonardo’s “Ginevra de’ Benci” is his only painting that is what?

Trivia: Leonardo’s “Ginevra de’ Benci” is his only painting that is what?

Signed
Painted on wood
Completely finished
Located in the Americas

Correct Answer: Located in the Americas

So why is this answer correct? : The only verified Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Western Hemisphere is the “Ginevra de’ Benci,” which is located at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The oil painting was created over four years from 1474 to 1478. There are fewer than 20 surviving Leonardo da Vinci paintings in the world, making his pieces among the most scarce and sought-after Renaissance artworks.

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Leonardo’s aerial screw was an early version of what?

Trivia: Leonardo’s aerial screw was an early version of what?

Wind turbine
Elevator
Helicopter
Air conditioning

Correct Answer: Helicopter

So why is this answer correct? : Some 400 years before the first helicopter, Leonardo already had visions of a similar flying machine. His aerial screw was powered by a spiraling blade that, in theory, would push air downward to propel the vehicle upward. The lightweight screw would be made of linen and powered by a giant spring, wound up tightly to generate enough of an energy burst to spin the rotor.

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What unusual writing method did Leonardo often use?

Trivia: What unusual writing method did Leonardo often use?

Mirror writing
Invisible ink
A Caesar cipher
Hieroglyphics

Correct Answer: Mirror writing

So why is this answer correct? : Leonardo’s records were written backward and read from right to left — a type of script known as “mirror writing,” because it can be most easily read in a mirror. Although he never revealed why he wrote in this way, a popular theory is that the artist was left-handed and this avoided ink smudges. Others believe it made it harder for people to steal his ideas. Anything that Leonardo wrote for public use was written to be read from left to right.

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One of Leonardo’s final inventions was a mechanical lion that did what?

Trivia: One of Leonardo’s final inventions was a mechanical lion that did what?

Whistled
Presented flowers
Breathed fire
Roared

Correct Answer: Presented flowers

So why is this answer correct? : One of Leonardo’s last commissioned works was arguably one of his most creative. To entertain the French monarch, the artist created a lion that walked on its own and even presented flowers at the king’s feet. The reconstruction of this massive mechanical feline measures 10 feet long and is more than 6.5 feet tall.

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In 1515, Leonardo left Italy to serve which monarch?

Trivia: In 1515, Leonardo left Italy to serve which monarch?

Henry VIII of England
Manuel I of Portugal
Francis I of France
Christian II of Denmark

Correct Answer: Francis I of France

So why is this answer correct? : Leonardo is generally associated with his native Italy, but he spent the final years of his life in France. During a meeting in Bologna with King Francis I of France in 1515, Leonardo was offered a title he couldn’t refuse: Premier Painter, Engineer, and Architect to the King. He subsequently moved to France and resided in the Chateau de Cloux in the Loire Valley, where he remained until his death in 1519.

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Where is the “Last Supper” located?

Trivia: Where is the “Last Supper” located?

A vault in the Louvre
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
On display at the Uffizi Gallery
A church wall in Milan

Correct Answer: A church wall in Milan

So why is this answer correct? : One of the most famous paintings in the world is located on the wall of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. The painting is a fresco — a mural painted on plaster — that measures more than 15 feet high and 29 feet wide. Leonardo began the painting in 1494, and it depicts Jesus’ last dinner with his disciples.