Melzi, Francesco

Born in 1491 into a family of the Milanese nobility in Lombardy, Francesco Melzi grew up in a privileged environment that valued learning and the arts. His family's social position and cultural interests created ideal conditions for his introduction to one of the Renaissance's greatest geniuses.

Around 1505, Leonardo da Vinci returned to Milan after years of service to Cesare Borgia and the Florentine Republic. Leonardo stayed with the Melzi family during this period, where he met the teenage Francesco. The meeting proved momentous for both. Leonardo was attracted by the young man's good nature, physical beauty, and intellectual promise, while Francesco found in Leonardo an incomparable teacher and father figure.

Melzi became Leonardo's pupil and constant companion, a relationship that would last until the master's death. Unlike Leonardo's other students, who came and went from his workshop, Melzi showed absolute devotion, becoming what Leonardo himself called his 'beloved pupil.'

The young nobleman traveled everywhere with Leonardo—working with him in Milan, accompanying him to Rome around 1513 when Leonardo sought papal patronage, and making the arduous journey to France in 1516 when Leonardo accepted King Francis I's invitation.

In France, they stayed at the Château de Cloux (now Clos Lucé) in Amboise, where Leonardo spent his final years. Melzi cared for the aging master, assisted with his work, and was present at Leonardo's death on May 2, 1519. In Leonardo's will, Melzi was the principal heir, receiving Leonardo's paintings, scientific instruments, books, and most importantly, his notebooks filled with observations, inventions, and artistic theories.

After Leonardo's death, Melzi returned to Italy, bringing with him the precious cargo of Leonardo's manuscripts. He married Angiola di Landriani and settled into the life of a nobleman, fathering eight children while managing his estates.

Despite his domestic responsibilities, Melzi dedicated himself to preserving and organizing Leonardo's vast written legacy. He undertook the monumental task of sorting through Leonardo's chaotic notes and compiling them into a coherent manuscript. The result was the Codex Urbinas, which became the primary source for understanding Leonardo's theories on painting.

Melzi continued to paint occasionally, creating works that reflected his master's influence while showing his own gentle, refined sensibility. However, his artistic production remained secondary to his role as guardian of Leonardo's heritage. He maintained correspondence with other artists and scholars, answering questions about Leonardo and carefully preserving his master's reputation.

Melzi died around 1570 in Milan, having successfully protected Leonardo's manuscripts for over fifty years. Tragically, after Melzi's death, his heirs did not share his reverence for the documents, and many of Leonardo's papers were dispersed, lost, or destroyed.