''Da Vinci's Demons'' is a

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthur ...

drama series that presents a fictional account of

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...

's early life. The series was conceived by

David S. Goyer David Samuel Goyer (born December 22, 1965) is an American filmmaker, novelist and comic book writer. He is best known for writing the screenplays for several superhero films, including ''Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (film), Nick Fury: Agent ...

and stars Tom Riley in the title role. It was developed and produced in collaboration with

BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetises BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...

and was

shot Shot may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Shot'' (album), by The Jesus Lizard *''Shot, Illusion, New God'', an EP by Gruntruck *'' Shot Rev 2.0'', a video album by The Sisters of Mercy * "Shot" (song), by The Rasmus * ''Shot'' (2017 f ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. The series has been distributed to over 120 countries. The show follows Leonardo as he is implicated in the political schemes of the

Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...

and

Pazzi The Pazzi were a noble Florentine family. Their main trade during the fifteenth century was banking. In the aftermath of the Pazzi conspiracy in 1478, members of the family were banished from Florence and their property was confiscated; the ...

families and their contrasting relationships with the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. These events occur alongside Leonardo's quest to obtain a mystical text called the ''Book of Leaves'', which leads him to become entangled with a cult known as the Sons of Mithras. The series premiered in the United States on

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

on 12 April 2013, and its second season premiered on 22 March 2014. The series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on 24 October 2015. On 23 July 2015, Starz announced that the third season would be the show's last. However, Goyer has left it open for a

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

return.

Plot

A fictionalised story based on historical persons, the series explores the early life of Leonardo da Vinci during the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. He is an eccentric genius who has struggled to deal with his inner demons and unruly imagination, as he yearns for acceptance from his estranged father. Their sometimes antagonistic relationship results in Leonardo's working for the

House of Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mug ...

. While doing so, he becomes embroiled in a political scheme to control

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, as he hunts for a spy who is revealing information to the

and the

family. He also begins an affair with Lucrezia Donati,

Lorenzo de' Medici Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 1 January 1449 – 8 April 1492) was an Italian statesman, banker, ''de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic and the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Also known as Lorenzo ...

's mistress. The series depicts many of Leonardo's inventions and subsequent works as a military engineer for the

Duke of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that elect ...

and the

Borgias The House of Borgia ( , ; Spanish and an, Borja ; ca-valencia, Borja ) was an Italian-Aragonese Spanish noble family, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. They were from Valencia, the surname being a toponymic from the town ...

. These events coincide with Leonardo's quest to uncover the ''Book of Leaves'', which a mysterious cult known as the Sons of Mithras also consider very important. Mystics and the cult guided him to unlock the 'hidden areas of his mind' by accessing the ''Fountain of Memory'', and inform him that he has the power to see the future and also to shape it. In terms of historical accuracy, the show is highly fictionalized, and this is already (and deliberately) made explicit the first episode, playing 1475–1476 (persecution for sodomy 1476; before the Pazzi conspiracy of 1478), when

potatoes The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern United ...

and

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

(this one even in the very first dialog) are presented as something commonplace – 15 years before America was even discovered. Likewise,

Mithraism Mithraism, also known as the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman mystery religion centered on the god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian worship of the Zoroastrian divinity (''yazata'') Mithra, the Roman Mithras is linke ...

had already fully disappeared during Late Antiquity.

Cast and characters

Main

* Tom Riley as

Laura Haddock Laura Jane Haddock (born 21 August 1985) is an English actress. She is known for portraying Zoë Walker in ''White Lines (TV series), White Lines'', Kacie Carter in ''Honest (TV series), Honest'', Lucrezia in ''Da Vinci's Demons'', Meredith Quil ...

as Lucrezia Donati *

Blake Ritson Blake Adam Ritson (born 14 January 1978) is an English actor and director. Early life Blake was born on 14, June, 1978 in London and attended the Dolphin School in Reading, Berkshire until 1993, before going to St Paul's School in West Londo ...

as Count

Girolamo Riario Girolamo Riario (1443 – 14 April 1488) was Lord of Imola (from 1473) and Forlì (from 1480). He served as Captain General of the Church under his uncle Pope Sixtus IV. He took part in the 1478 Pazzi conspiracy against the Medici, and was assas ...

Elliot Cowan Elliot Aidan Cowan (born 9 July 1976) is an English actor, known for portraying Corporal Jem Poynton in ''Ultimate Force'', Mr Darcy in ''Lost in Austen'', and Ptolemy in the 2004 film ''Alexander''. He also starred as Lorenzo de' Medici in ''Da ...

Lara Pulver Lara Pulver (born 1 September 1980) is an English actress. She has played Erin Watts in the BBC spy drama '' Spooks'' and Irene Adler on BBC's TV adaptation '' Sherlock''. She won the 2016 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical i ...

Clarice Orsini Clarice Orsini (1453–1488) was the daughter of Iacopo Orsini, and his wife and cousin Maddalena Orsini both from the Orsini family, a great Roman noble house and was the wife of Lorenzo de' Medici. Life Clarice and Lorenzo married 4 June ...

* James Faulkner as

Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...

– Francesco & Alessandro della Rovere (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1) *

Gregg Chillin Gregg Chilingirian (born 15 December 1988) better known by his stage name Gregg Chillin, is an English actor and writer born in Cambridgeshire. Early life Gregg Chilingirian was born in December 1988 in Cambridge to parents of Armenian and Engli ...

as Zoroaster da Peretola (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2)

Recurring

* Hera Hilmar as Vanessa Moschella, outspoken Florentine barmaid and occasional model for Leonardo *

Eros Vlahos Eros Vlahos (born 13 January 1995) is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his roles as Cyril Gray in ''Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang'', Jake Farley in '' Summer in Transylvania'', and Lommy Greenhands in '' Game of Thrones''. He also ...

Nico Naftiran Intertrade Company Société à responsabilité limitée#In Switzerland, limited (NICO) is a Switzerland, Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC bu ...

, apprentice to Leonardo * David Schofield as Piero da Vinci, notary to Lorenzo and father to Leonardo *

Alexander Siddig Siddig El Tahir El Fadil El Siddig Abdurrahman Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Karim El Mahdi (born 21 November 1965) is a Sudanese-born English actor and director known professionally as Siddig El Fadil and subsequently as Alexander Siddig. Siddig i ...

as Aslan Al-Rahim, "The Turk" * Tom Bateman as

Giuliano de' Medici Giuliano de' Medici (25 October 1453 – 26 April 1478) was the second son of Piero de' Medici (the Gouty) and Lucrezia Tornabuoni. As co-ruler of Florence, with his brother Lorenzo the Magnificent, he complemented his brother's image as the " ...

, brother to Lorenzo (seasons 1–2) *

Allan Corduner Allan Corduner (; born 2 April 1950) is a British actor. Born in Stockholm to a German mother and a Russo-Finnish father, Corduner grew up in a secular Jewish home in London. After earning a BA (Hons) in English and Drama at Bristol Universit ...

Andrea Verrocchio Andrea del Verrocchio (, , ; – 1488), born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni, was a sculptor, Italian painter and goldsmith who was a master of an important workshop in Florence. He apparently became known as ''Verrocchio'' after the su ...

(seasons 1–2) *

Michael Elwyn Michael Elwyn (born 23 August 1942) is a Welsh actor, notable for his work in film ('' Shadow Man''), stage ('' The Audience'', as Anthony Eden) and television ('' Stella''). Elwyn was born in Pontypridd. He is the partner of actress Alison ...

as Gentile Becchi (season 1) *

Michael Culkin Michael Culkin (born 2 July 1954) is an English theatre, film, and television actor probably best known for his role as Judge Buller in the BBC drama ''Garrow's Law''. He appeared as Rab Butler in the first two seasons of ''The Crown'', in '' T ...

as Jacopo Pazzi (seasons 1–2) *

Nick Dunning Nick Dunning (born 1957 in London) is an English actor. He is a well known theatre actor who attended RADA (Dip Hons) 1977, where he won the Ronson Prize for Most Promising Young Actor. He has appeared on stage in the West End in London and a ...

as Cardinal Lupo Mercuri, Curator of the

Vatican Secret Archives , seal = Seal of the Vatican Secret Archives.svg , seal_width = 200 , seal_caption = Former seal of the Vatican Apostolic Archive , logo = , formed = , jurisdiction = , headquarters = Cortile del Belvedere, Vatican City , coordinates ...

Elliot Levey Elliot Levey (born 6 December 1973) is an Olivier award winning actor. Career Olivier award winner for the role of Herr Shultz in Cabaret.known for his work in British Theatre, he has performed at the Donmar Warehouse, Almeida and National Th ...

Francesco de' Pazzi Francesco de' Pazzi (28 January 1444 – 26 April 1478) was an Italian banker and one of the instigators of the Pazzi conspiracy. On Sunday, 26 April 1478, in an incident known as the Pazzi conspiracy, a group headed by Girolamo Riario, Franc ...

(seasons 1–2) *

Paul Rhys Paul Rhys (born 19 December 1963) is a Welsh theatre, television and film actor. Early life Rhys was born in Neath to working class Catholic parents, Kathryn Ivory and her husband Richard Charles Rhys, a labourer. At fourteen, he bred and train ...

Vlad Tepes Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ro, Vlad Țepeș ) or Vlad Dracula (; ro, Vlad Drăculea ; 1428/311476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most im ...

(seasons 1, 3) *

Shaun Parkes Shaun Parkes (born 9 February 1973) is an English actor. Biography At 16, Parkes enrolled at Seltec College to study drama. Two years later, he was accepted into RADA. Having acted in both theatre and television support roles, Parkes made his ...

as Solomon Ogbai, "The Abyssinian" (seasons 1–2) *

Vincent Riotta Vincenzo Ricotta (born 14 October 1959), professionally known as Vincent Riotta, is a British actor. Career Riotta studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He went on to perform in various stage plays, such as Shakespeare's ''Romeo'', wh ...

as Duke

Federico da Montefeltro Federico da Montefeltro, also known as Federico III da Montefeltro KG (7 June 1422 – 10 September 1482), was one of the most successful mercenary captains (''condottieri'') of the Italian Renaissance, and lord of Urbino from 1444 (as Duke fr ...

(seasons 1–2) * Estella Daniels as Zita (supporting season 1; principal season 2) *

Carolina Guerra Carolina Guerra (born Carolina Liliana Guerra Molina; 30 July 1987) is a Colombian model, actress and television presenter chosen in 2005 to represent the nation's capital as ''Miss Bogotá''. She won a Škoda Fabia hatchback, 25 million pesos ...

as Ima, High Priestess of the Children of the Sun (season 2) * Ian Pirie as Captain Nazzareno Dragonetti (supporting season 1; principal seasons 2–3) *

Raoul Trujillo Raoul Maximiano Trujillo de Chauvelon (born May 8, 1955) is an American and Canadian actor, dancer, choreographer, and theatre director. A former soloist with the Nikolais Dance Theatre, he is the original choreographer and co-director for the ...

as the

Sapa Inca The Sapa Inca (from Quechua ''Sapa Inka'' "the only Inca") was the monarch of the Inca Empire (''Tawantinsuyu''), as well as ruler of the earlier Kingdom of Cusco and the later Neo-Inca State. While the origins of the position are mythical and o ...

(season 2) *

Kieran Bew Kieran Bew (born 18 August 1980) is an English actor, known for portraying Alfonso, Duke of Calabria in ''Da Vinci's Demons'' for Starz, '' Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale'' for Hallmark Entertainment and Gary Parr in Jimmy M ...

as Alfonso, Duke of Calabria (seasons 2–3) *

Lee Boardman Lee Boardman (born 2 July 1972) is an English actor and narrator. He has appeared in the films ''Jack the Giant Slayer'' and ''Love's Kitchen'', and the television series ''Rome''. Career Boardman played Murray Priestman in '' Drop Dead Gorge ...

as Amerigo Vespucci (season 2) * Matthew Marsh as

Ferdinand I of Naples Ferdinando Trastámara d'Aragona, of the Naples branch, universally known as Ferrante and also called by his contemporaries Don Ferrando and Don Ferrante (2 June 1424, in Valencia – 25 January 1494, in Kingdom of Naples, Naples), was the only so ...

(season 2) *

Ray Fearon Raymond Fearon is an English actor. He played garage mechanic Nathan Harding on ITV's long-running soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and voiced the centaur Firenze in the Wizarding World film series ''Harry Potter'' and ''Fantastic Beasts''. ...

Carlo de' Medici Carlo di Cosimo de' Medici (1428 or 1430 – May 29, 1492) was an Italian priest. A member of the powerful Medici family, he became a senior clergyman and collector. Early life Born in Florence, he was the Legitimacy (family law), illegiti ...

, illegitimate son of

Cosimo de' Medici Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived from his wealth ...

, "The Magician" (seasons 2–3) *

Richard Sammel Richard Sammel (born 13 October 1960) is a German actor. He is best known for his role as Thomas Eichhorst on the FX television series ''The Strain'' (2014–2017). He has appeared in more than 100 films and television series since 1991. Per ...

as Hartweg (season 2) *

Jeany Spark Jeannette "Jeany" Spark (born 7 November 1982) is an English actress, known for portraying Linda Wallander in the British television series '' Wallander''. The actress has also had significant roles in the comedy series '' Man Down'' and the dram ...

Ippolita Maria Sforza Ippolita Maria Sforza (18 April 1445 – 20 August 1488) was an Italian noblewoman, a member of the Sforza family which ruled the Duchy of Milan from 1450 until 1535. She was the first wife of the Duke of Calabria, who later reigned as King Alfo ...

, Duchess of Calabria (season 2) *

Sasha Behar Sasha Behar (born 25 September 1971) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Maya Sharma in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street''. Career Behar portrayed the character of villain Maya Sharma in the ITV soap opera '' Coro ...

as The Seer / Caterina, Leonardo's mother (supporting season 2; principal season 3) *

Akin Gazi Akin Gazi (born 15 October 1981) is a British actor. Life and career Gazi was born in North London, in 1981, to Turkish Cypriot parents. He attended Queen Mary, University of London studying English and Drama graduating in 2003. He is married ...

Bayezid II Bayezid II ( ota, بايزيد ثانى, Bāyezīd-i s̱ānī, 3 December 1447 – 26 May 1512, Turkish: ''II. Bayezid'') was the eldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, ...

(supporting season 2; principal season 3) *

Simone Lahbib Simone Nicole Jean Lahbib Ould Cheikl (; born 6 February 1965) is a Scottish actress. She is known for her roles as Helen Stewart in the ITV drama series '' Bad Girls'', DCI Alex Fielding in the ITV crime series ''Wire in the Blood'' and Katy L ...

Laura Cereta Laura Cereta (September 1469 – 1499), was one of the most notable humanist and feminist writers of fifteenth-century Italy. Cereta was the first to put women’s issues and her friendships with women front and center in her work. Cereta wrote i ...

(season 3) * Paul Freeman as The Architect / Asterion (season 3) * Jude Wright as Andrea da Vinci (dream-sequence) (season 3) * Dafydd Emyr as Captain of the Labyrinth (dream-sequence) (season 3) *

Sabrina Bartlett Sabrina Lois Bartlett (born September 1991) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the BBC One miniseries '' The Passing Bells'' (2014), the third series of the ITV drama ''Victoria'' (2019), and the first series of ''Knightfall'' ...

as Sophia (season 3)

Guest and cameo

Ross O'Hennessy Ross O'Hennessy (born 1974) is a Welsh actor. He is best known for his role of Lord of Bones in ''Game of Thrones''. He played roles in ''Hollyoaks Later'', ''Da Vinci's Demons'', The Musketeers, and playing the blood thirsty role of Sir Lock ...

as Commander Quattrone (seasons 1–2) *

David Sturzaker David Sturzaker is an English actor born in Hammersmith in London, who played Dr. Simon Bond (Doctors), Dr. Simon Bond in the BBC soap, Doctors (2000 TV series), Doctors from 2009 to 2011. Early life Sturzaker was born in Hammersmith in west Lon ...

Bernardo Baroncelli Bernardo Bandini Baroncelli (15 January 1420 – 29 December 1479) was an Italian merchant and one of the instigators of the Pazzi conspiracy. As the opening stroke of the Pazzi conspiracy, Giuliano de' Medici was assassinated on Easter Sunday, ...

(season 1) *

Simon Armstrong Simon Armstrong is a Welsh actor from Llanelli, best known for his portrayal of Qhorin Halfhand in '' Game of Thrones''. Career Armstrong portrayed Qhorin Halfhand in the HBO series '' Game of Thrones'' (2012). He also had recurring roles i ...

as Scarpa (season 1) *

Hugh Bonneville Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams (born 10 November 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series ''Downton Abbey''. His performance on the show earned him a nom ...

Galeazzo Maria Sforza Galeazzo Maria Sforza (24 January 1444 – 26 December 1476) was the fifth Duke of Milan from 1466 until his assassination a decade later. He was notorious for being lustful, cruel, and tyrannical. He was born to Francesco Sforza, a popula ...

(cameo season 1) *

Tom Wu Tom Wu (born 15 May 1972) is a Hong Kong-born British actor who grew up in Chinatown, London. He is a martial arts expert who has appeared in films such as ''Revolver'', ''Shanghai Knights'', '' Batman Begins'' and the Bollywood film '' Ra.One'' ...

as Quon Shan (season 2) *

Ieuan Rhys Ieuan Rhys (born 24 December 1961) is a Welsh actor. His television work has included thirteen years in the BBC Cymru soap opera ''Pobol y Cwm'', Seargent Tom Swann in the last series of ''A Mind to Kill'' (for Fiction Factory/ Channel 5) and s ...

as Councilman De'Rossi (season 3) *

Vlad the Impaler Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ro, Vlad Țepeș ) or Vlad Dracula (; ro, Vlad Drăculea ; 1428/311476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most im ...

(four episodes) *

Ruby Stokes Ruby May Stokes (born 4 September 2000) is an English actress. She appeared in the films ''Una'' (2016), '' Rocks'' (2019), and '' A Banquet'' (2021). On television, she is known for her role in the Netflix detective series '' Lockwood & Co.'' ( ...

as Amelia (two episodes)

Casting

Tom Riley was the first actor to be cast in the series, as ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' announced he had landed the role as Leonardo da Vinci. Goyer and managing director Carmi Zlotnik revealed he was cast as he could portray the character with many dimensions that would appeal to a worldwide audience. They later reported that Laura Haddock had been cast in the female lead as Lucrezia Donati.

Production

The series has marked the first collaboration between Starz and

following a new production agreement. Fox International Channels picked up the series for global distribution. The show was created by Goyer, who directed the first two episodes and wrote several others along writers such as

Scott Gimple Scott Milhouse Gimple (born March 29, 1971)Internet Movie Database;– Scott M. Gimple ...

, Brian Nelson and

Joe Ahearne Joe Ahearne is an Irish television writer and director, best known for his work on several fantasy and science fiction based programmes including '' Ultraviolet'', '' Apparitions'' and ''Doctor Who''. He also wrote the screenplay for 2013 fea ...

. Filming for the series took place in the United Kingdom, at

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...

Port Talbot Port Talbot (, ) is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, situated on the east side of Swansea Bay, approximately from Swansea. The Port Talbot Steelworks covers a large area of land which dominates the south ...

and

Margam Castle Margam Castle, Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, is a late Georgian country house built for Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot. Designed by Thomas Hopper, the castle was constructed in a Tudor Revival style over a five-year period, from 1830 to 1835. ...

in Wales. A studio in Swansea Gate Business Park was also used and several sets were built to resemble 15th-century

. Annie Symons was brought on board as the lead

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume ...

Bear McCreary Bear McCreary (born February 17, 1979) is an American musician and composer of film, television, and video game scores based in Los Angeles, California. His work includes the scores of the television series ''Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), ''Age ...

composed the score for the series, and orchestrated the main theme to reflect Leonardo's use of

mirror writing Mirror writing is formed by writing in the direction that is the reverse of the natural way for a given language, such that the result is the mirror image of normal writing: it appears normal when it is reflected in a mirror. It is sometimes u ...

. Goyer had a scene in episode five depicting a kiss between Leonardo and Jacopo Saltarelli filmed in secret as he feared network interference. Goyer revealed to ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' at the

New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. History The New York Comic Con is a f ...

that season two would also be set in South America and would feature

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which ...

and the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

. Goyer claimed that this was justified by "new research" that has revealed Chinese and European explorers may have arrived in the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

earlier than was originally believed.

Sexuality of Leonardo

There is widespread belief that Leonardo was primarily if not exclusively sexually attracted to and involved with men. Goyer acknowledged this and said that the show would not shy away from the subject. Riley cited that because the speculation exists it is something that should be honoured. In a later interview with the gay-interest website The Backlot, Riley expressed his hope that the episode addressed concerns about the show's depiction of Leonardo's sexuality in a way that is satisfactory and respectful to any historical beliefs.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2013)

Season 2 (2014)

Season 3 (2015)

On October 24, 2015, Starz released the full third season of ''Da Vinci's Demons'' on-demand.

Reception

Season 1 has received favourable reviews from critics. It holds a 63% approval rating on aggregate review site

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, based on 32 collected critic reviews, with an average score of 6.1/10. The sites consensus reads: "Despite its preposterous plotting and lack of historical accuracy, ''Da Vinci's Demons'' is energetic, enjoyable escapist television." It also holds a

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

score of 62 out of 100, based on 27 critics reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Accolades

''Da Vinci's Demons'' received three nominations for Outstanding Main Title Design,

Outstanding Main Title Theme Music This is a list of the winning and nominated programs of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the award was presented with the "possibility of one, more than one, or no award given, ...

and Outstanding Special Visual Effects at the

65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards The 65th Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony was held on September 15, 2013, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles. The ceremony was held in conjunction with the annual Primetime Emmy Awards and is presented in recognition o ...

. The series won Main Title Design and Main Title Theme Music, but lost Visual Effects to the

Cinemax Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Developed as a companion "maxi-pay" service complementing the offerings shown on parent net ...

series ''

Banshee A banshee ( ; Modern Irish , from sga, ben síde , "woman of the fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Her name is c ...

''.

Home media

References

External links

* * {{Starz Shows 2010s American LGBT-related drama television series 2010s British drama television series 2013 American television series debuts 2013 British television series debuts 2015 American television series endings 2015 British television series endings American adventure television series Starz original programming Television series by BBC Studios British adventure television series 2010s British LGBT-related drama television series Cultural depictions of Lorenzo de' Medici Cultural depictions of Niccolò Machiavelli Cultural depictions of Vlad the Impaler Depictions of Leonardo da Vinci on television English-language television shows Television shows set in Florence Pope Sixtus IV Serial drama television series Television series set in the 15th century Television series set in the Renaissance Television shows set in Italy Television shows set in Turkey Television series created by David S. Goyer Works about Leonardo da Vinci

Plot

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest and cameo

Casting

Production

Sexuality of Leonardo

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2013)

Season 2 (2014)

Season 3 (2015)

Reception

Accolades

Home media

See also

References

External links