200 Years of LGBTQIA+ History

From Shadows to Pride — UK & Global Timeline

Source Record

LGBTQ+ stories

Why this source is used

Royal Collection Trust LGBTQ+ stories page including Leonardo da Vinci and queer readings of works in the collection.

Start with the answer

Start with the answer What do ancient and early modern queer lives show? They show that same-sex love, queer social spaces and gender nonconformity existed long before modern LGBTQ+ identity language. Read the topic guide Ancient and Early Modern Queer and Gender-Diverse Lives Long before modern LGBTQ+ labels, historical records preserve same-sex love, queer social spaces and gender-diverse lives across empire, courts, taverns and seafaring worlds.

Source Status

Publisher
Royal Collection Trust
Type
archive
Reliability
high
Cited by
3 pages

Source Links

Open original source https://www.rct.uk/collection/stories/lgbtq-stories Accessed 4 June 2026 Open archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.rct.uk/collection/stories/lgbtq-stories

Used by Topics

Ancient and Early Modern Queer and Gender-Diverse Lives

Used by Questions

What do ancient and early modern queer lives show?

Used by Timeline Events

9 April 1476 CulturalLegalPeople

Leonardo da Vinci — Sodomy Charge and Renaissance Genius

In Florence, a young Leonardo da Vinci was anonymously accused of sodomy with a male model named Jacopo Saltarelli. The charges were eventually dropped, but the episode shaped da Vinci's intensely private nature for the rest of his life. Despite the risks, da Vinci formed close emotional relationships with male pupils and companions, most notably Gian Giacomo Caprotti (Salaì) and Francesco Melzi. He went on to become one of history's greatest polymaths — painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, and inventor — producing masterworks including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.