While researching a work of historical fiction, Carlo Vecce, a professor at Orientale University in Naples and renowned scholar in the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci, made a surprising discovery about Leonardo’s mother, Caterina. Vecce will talk about his novel, “Il Sorriso di Caterina” (Caterina’s Smile), which recounts, through a combination of fact and imaginative fiction, the story of how Caterina was kidnapped from the Caucasus area of Central Asia and moved to Florence, then Vinci, as a slave.
Participants are encouraged to bring refreshments to share at a post-program reception. Doors open at 4:45 p.m.
