This historic figure is getting a tv show where his sexuality will be explored
A new limited TV show will explore the life and love of Leonardo da Vinci.
According to Variety, Hollywood producer and executive Frank Spotnitz (The Man in the High Castle) and Sherlock writer Stephen Thompson are working on a limited series titled Leonardo.
As you might have guessed, the series will focus on the life of Italian engineer and artist Leonardo da Vinci. This story will be portrayed through the eyes of “a girl called Caterina, who was one of his models,” and “will allow us to get inside his soul and his secrets,” says producers.
The series plans to truthfully depict all aspects of Leonardo’s life, this includes his sexuality. Leonardo had no known romances with women, but is believed to have had a male lover by the name of Salaì. In addition, da Vinci was arrested at the age of 24 on a charge of sodomy, which was later dropped.
Spotnitz and Thompson were recruited by Italy’s public national broadcaster RAI to create the English-language series.
“He was a real outsider for those times. He was an illegitimate child, gay, vegetarian and left-handed,” said RAI Head of Drama Eleonora Andreatta.
The series will be made up of eight episodes and will be supported by The Alliance, a multi-national co-production group formed by Rai, France Televisions, and Germany’s ZDF as a way to combat streaming sites Netflix and Amazon. That said, RAI is taking lead with the project and the other countries can decide or not if they want to participate.
So far, the plan is for the series to debut next year before the 500-year anniversary of Leonardo’s death.
h/t: Variety
People who KNOW history know
People who KNOW history know one Leonardo Da Vinci is all gay men need to argue the legitimacy and importance of gay men to civilization. More important than fifty of today's mediocre gay celebrities.