Born: April 15, 1452 Vinci, Italy Died: May 2, 1519 Amboise, France. Italian artist, painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist. Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist.He was one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance, and his influence on painting was enormous to the following generations.eonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, near the village of Vinci about 25 miles west of Florence. He was the illegitimate (born to unmarried parents) son of Ser Piero da Vinci, a prominent notary (a public official who certifies legal documents) of Florence, and a local woman, Caterina.