''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 (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those c ...

drama television series that presents a fictional account of

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

's early life. The series was conceived by David S. Goyer 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 monetised BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...

and was shot in

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

. The series has been distributed to over 120 countries. The show follows Leonardo as he is implicated in the political schemes of the Medici and Pazzi families and their contrasting relationships with the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. 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 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 In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

return.

Plot

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

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. 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 consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici and his grandson Lorenzo de' Medici, Lorenzo "the Magnificent" during the first h ...

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

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

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

and the Pazzi family. He also begins an affair with Lucrezia Donati,

Lorenzo de' Medici Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (), known as Lorenzo the Magnificent (; 1 January 1449 – 9 April 1492), was an Italian statesman, the ''de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic, and the most powerful patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Lore ...

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

Cast and characters

Main

* Tom Riley as

* Laura Haddock as Lucrezia Donati * Blake Ritson as Count Girolamo Riario * Elliot Cowan as

* Lara Pulver as Clarice Orsini * James Faulkner as Pope Sixtus IV – Francesco & Alessandro della Rovere (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1) * Gregg Chillin 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 as Nico, apprentice to Leonardo * David Schofield as Piero da Vinci, notary to Lorenzo and father to Leonardo * Alexander Siddig as Aslan Al-Rahim, "The Turk" * Tom Bateman as

Giuliano de' Medici Giuliano de' Medici (28 October 1453 – 26 April 1478) was the second son of Piero de' Medici (the Gouty) and Lucrezia Tornabuoni. As co-ruler of the Florentine Republic, with his brother Lorenzo the Magnificent, he complemented his broth ...

, brother to Lorenzo (seasons 1–2) * Allan Corduner as Andrea Verrocchio (seasons 1–2) * Michael Elwyn as Gentile Becchi (season 1) * Michael Culkin as Jacopo Pazzi (seasons 1–2) * Nick Dunning as Cardinal Lupo Mercuri, Curator of the Vatican Secret Archives * Elliot Levey as Francesco de' Pazzi (seasons 1–2) * Paul Rhys as Vlad Tepes (seasons 1, 3) * Shaun Parkes 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 William Shakespeare, Shakesp ...

as Duke Federico da Montefeltro (seasons 1–2) * Estella Daniels as Zita (supporting season 1; principal season 2) * Carolina Guerra 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 as the

Sapa Inca The Sapa Inca (from ; ) was the monarch of the Inca Empire (''Tawantinsuyu'' "the region of the four rovinces), as well as ruler of the earlier Kingdom of Cusco and the later Neo-Inca State at Vilcabamba, Peru, Vilcabamba. While the origins ...

(season 2) * Kieran Bew as Alfonso, Duke of Calabria (seasons 2–3) * Lee Boardman as Amerigo Vespucci (season 2) * Matthew Marsh as Ferdinand I of Naples, "Ferrante" (season 2) * Ray Fearon as Carlo de' Medici, illegitimate son of Cosimo de' Medici, "The Magician" (seasons 2–3) * Richard Sammel as Hartweg (season 2) * Jeany Spark as Ippolita Maria Sforza, Duchess of Calabria (season 2) * Sasha Behar as The Seer / Caterina, Leonardo's mother (supporting season 2; principal season 3) * Akin Gazi as Bayezid II (supporting season 2; principal season 3) * Simone Lahbib as Laura Cereta (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 as Sophia (season 3)

Guest and cameo

* Ross O'Hennessy as Commander Quattrone (seasons 1–2) * David Sturzaker as Bernardo Baroncelli (season 1) * Simon Armstrong as Scarpa (season 1) * Hugh Bonneville as Galeazzo Maria Sforza (cameo season 1) * Tom Wu as Quon Shan (season 2) * Ieuan Rhys as Councilman De'Rossi (season 3) * Paul Rhys as Vlad the Impaler (four episodes) * Ruby Stokes as Amelia (two episodes) * Porcelain Delaney as Handmaiden (one episode)

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 of 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 marks 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, Brian Nelson and

Joe Ahearne Joe Ahearne (born 1962), is a British television screenwriting, writer and television director, director, best known for his work on several fantasy and science fiction based programmes including ''Ultraviolet (TV serial), Ultraviolet'', ''Appar ...

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

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

Neath Neath (; ) 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 population of 19,2 ...

Port Talbot Port Talbot (, ) is a town and community (Wales), 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 d ...

and Margam Castle 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.

Bear McCreary Bear McCreary (born February 17, 1979) is an American composer of film, television, and video game scores. His work includes the scores of the television series '' Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', '' Black Sails'', '' ...

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 reflected in a mirror. It is sometimes used as ...

. 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'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' at the

New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to comics, Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, Film, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. With an attendance of 200,00 ...

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

Inca Empire The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

. 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 used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

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 Tower" episode would address concerns about the show's depiction of Leonardo's sexuality in a way that was satisfactory and respectful to any historical beliefs.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2013)

Season 2 (2014)

Season 3 (2015)

On 24 October 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 75% approval rating on aggregate review site

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, 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 ...

, 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 an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

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 and Outstanding Special Visual Effects at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The series won Main Title Design and Main Title Theme Music, but lost Visual Effects to the Cinemax series '' Banshee''.

Home media

References

External links

* * {{Starz Shows 2010s American LGBTQ-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 LGBTQ-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 American 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