The secrets of Leonardo da Vinci’s genius are closer to being revealed after researchers identified 14 living descendants from the male line of his family tree.

They range from children to a surveyor, an upholsterer, farmers, office workers and – appropriately – an artist.

The youngest is a one-year-old baby, while the eldest is 85. They all still live in Vinci in Tuscany, where Leonardo came from.

“Leonardo is the incomparable genius and it is an honour for me to share an infinitesimal part of his genetic heritage,” said Paolo Vinci, the eldest of the descendants.

Gianni Vinci (62), who is an artist, joked: “Maybe for some of my work Leonardo turned in his grave, but for the rest I hope he is proud.” He said he was “amazed” to learn he was genetically linked to the Renaissance artist.

Scientists want to take DNA samples from the descendants, which they hope will shed light on the polymath’s artistic prowess, scientific intuition and left-handedness. They also want to investigate the reasons behind Leonardo’s “peculiar sensory perceptions”.

Presenting their research in the journal Human Evolution, professors Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato wrote: “The present genealogy, which spans almost 700 years, can be used to verify the unbroken transmission of the Y chromosome, with a view to confirming... Leonardo’s Y marker.”

Identifying the artist’s genetic profile could also help in verifying the authenticity of works attributed to him.

The Italian researchers spent years trawling through historical records to draw Leonardo’s family tree.

They have now mapped it from 1331 through to Leonardo’s birth in 1452 near the town of Vinci, and on to the present day, representing 21 generations.

The art historians had already identified 35 living descendants of Leonardo through female lines of the family tree. The new group of 14 living relatives comes from the male line.

The findings will contribute to research to determine whether remains buried at the Chateau d’Amboise in France belong to Leonardo, as is claimed. (© Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]