Yes

Da Vinci, who cheated his whole life, was indeed a vegetarian

Reprinted with permission from rice book

(ID: imricebook)< /p>

From around the age of 37 to the year of his death at the age of 67, Leonardo da Vinci has always been a note-taking enthusiast, writing and drawing. But all of his notes were "mirror-written" - not only were the entire lines unconventionally written from right to left, but every letter was written backwards (for example, 'd' would be written as 'b'). You must know that people who write like this strongly want to keep some secrets, not only the cryptographic characteristics of the written content, but also the privacy of their personal thinking methods.

Pay attention to the reverse letters

The reverse letters in Leonardo da Vinci's manuscript

Of course we all know that he was a jack-of-all-trades. So it’s no surprise to find notes about food among his mysterious notebooks. In addition to Leonardo's own comments, these views on food were deeply influenced by one of the first celebrity chefs, Bartolomeo Platina. The simple and vegetarian diet concept advocated by Platina had a profound influence on Leonardo da Vinci.

Platina was not only a gourmet, but also the first librarian of the Vatican. The picture shows Pope Sistine IV appointing him to this position.

As a lesser-known vegetarian, he once wrote in his notes: "Hasn't nature provided you with simple food (i.e. vegetarian food) that is enough to satisfy you? Then if you are concerned about this Still unsatisfied, couldn't you...make an infinite variety of delicacies by mixing these simple foods?"

Freud believed that Leonardo was always in a state of pity and pity? between aggressive contradictions. His vegetarianism is a manifestation of the "compassionate" side of his character, as he dislikes what he considers to be cruel treatment of animals; while his "aggressive" side is reflected in his design of military weapons. In practice, as well as his subconscious sadistic tendencies - he once accompanied criminals to receive the death penalty in order to draw the expressions of people dying.

Animals written by Leonardo da Vinci

However, Leonardo only became a vegetarian in his later years. Because he designed various meat-related appliances in his early years: a barbecue grill that automatically rotates the meat fork, a bacon stove that "slowly smokes bacon, pork tongue and sausages until they have an excellent flavor", etc.

The only meats he mentioned in his notes were beef and bon bove, but he also added Platina's opinion that they were "too heavy for the human stomach." "hard" and the nutrients it provides "make people sick and depressed" and can lead to skin diseases such as eczema. It shows that he really doesn't like meat.

But being a vegetarian was very dangerous for Leonardo da Vinci at that time. You must know that in Renaissance Italy, Catholic orthodoxy was dominant. Since God has given humans a higher status than other animals and the power to rule over them, giving up eating animals is blasphemy against God. The church called vegetarians "the devil's feast" and would even burn them at the stake for heresy. But Leonardo escaped this disaster.

Leonardo Da Vinci attributed the operation of all things in the world to nature, and formed his own set of religious philosophy. Rather than endlessly praying to God, he relied more on respect for life. . His belief in vegetarianism stems from this philosophical concept.

Plants written by Leonardo da Vinci

In 1482, the 30-year-old Leonardo left Florence and came to Milan, where he began to create the famous "The Last Plant" in the court of Sforza. dinner".

Romeno Gazzera, The Last Supper, 1930

Andy Warhol, The Last Supper, 1986

But in fact, he had multiple jobs at the time and wanted to paint. , he had to play music, design military machines and defense systems, and renovate the Duke's castle... As for the design of the kitchen, Leonardo da Vinci naturally had his own ideas:

For servants to live in The large room should be far away from the kitchen so that the owner does not hear their noisy sounds. There should be a place in the kitchen where utensils can be washed easily so that servants will no longer have to move them around the room...

For greater convenience, pantries, firewood storage rooms , kitchen, chicken coop and servants' room should be adjacent to each other.

At the same time, gardens, stables and scrap heaps should also be close to each other...

Distribution of food from the kitchen can be through a wide, low window or a table with a pivot...

Renaissance The Italian Kitchen of the Period

Were these ideas centuries ahead of the modern kitchen? ! As a brilliant inventor, he also wanted to liberate the chefs in the kitchen. He designed many machines to assist cooking, one of which was the first air screw compressor in history - a barbecue that automatically turned the meat spit. He used the hot air rising in the flue to drive the blades of the turbine to rotate, causing the barbecue fork equipped with a transmission device on the fire to rotate accordingly. The speed of the barbecue rotation could be controlled by the size of the fire.

This semi-automatic fork-turning machine later evolved into the first practical outdoor grill combination in history. Put firewood on the bottom and open a vent on the top (which is also the opening for adding firewood), and it becomes something similar to the BBQ grill we use now.

The eggbeater designed by Leonardo da Vinci

One of Leonardo da Vinci’s contributions to gastronomy was that he designed a sluice to allow navigation in the Po River. It is this lock that allows Milanese to watch with their own eyes the boats of rich cream, butter, honey, vegetables and fruits, etc. being transported to their hometown.

Da Vinci’s Thoughts on Watergates

In the early 16th century, the Florentine sculptor Giovan Grancesco Rustici established a group called "The Company" of the Cauldron), gathering friends, feasting and singing. Some food historians define this organization as the first culinary society since Roman times.

Rustic's 1506 sculpture "The Preaching of St. John"

In 1508, after Leonardo returned to his hometown, he moved into the same building where Rustici also lived. At the same time, he lived in the home of patron Piero di Braccio Martelli. So there is no doubt that he also participated in the gathering of the "Big Pot Rice Alliance". He has been described as "enjoying the digestion of feasts." It is also said that Leonardo da Vinci also raised animals including an eagle, a crow, a porcupine as tame as a dog and snakes at that time, becoming "the first artist to raise many animals."

I wonder if it’s the scenery around Mattelli Castle

And this big pot rice organization is so imaginative, no wonder Leonardo da Vinci lived freely in Mattelli Castle And easy:

"...To reflect the theme of the alliance's name, Rustich brought a large vat into the room, hooked its huge handle with an iron hook, and hung it from the ceiling. He At the same time, the room was repainted and curtains were hung to create the effect of 'being in a cauldron'... There were seats in the cauldron and a dining table in the middle. A set of large chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the cauldron. Inside the tank..."

As soon as the alliance members walked into the room and saw the big tank, of course they laughed wildly and then clapped. After they were all seated:

"The tabletop opened and a leafy tree rose, on which cleverly placed two of the main courses prepared for the guests. The guests finished their After the first course, the tree disappeared; when it reappeared, new dishes were placed on it..."

In the court of Milan, Leonardo da Vinci once wrote some The food-related riddles may have been meant for entertainment, but they were also a satire on Leonardo's view of people's attitudes toward food at the time. These prophetic "jokes" reflect part of the cruel status quo of natural society and its own pity:

Many people will whip their mothers until the skin is raw and the skin is turned up. ——Answer: Farmers cultivating the land

After being blown by the ruthless wind, many immature children were forcibly taken away from their mothers’ arms, thrown to the ground, and torn into pieces. ——Answer: fruits, nuts, olives, etc.

Innocent and ignorant children were taken away from their nannies and then died under the cruel knife of people. ——Answer: Goats and lambs

Many of them suffered the fate of their warehouses and grain being robbed, and finally died at the hands of irrational people - being submerged in water or drowning. ——Answer: Bee