"The most famous of all vegetarians, Leonardo da Vinci, was appalled by meat-eaters."
The popular diet in medieval rural Italy consisted of more vegetables and greens grown in the kitchen garden than is popularly thought. The vegetables were eaten raw, in salads, boiled in water, fried in lard or olive oil, or mixed with small amounts of meat. The most famous of all vegetarians, Leonardo da Vinci was appalled by meat-eaters. In the late 15th century he wrote in his notebook, “Does Nature not produce enough fruits and vegetables to satiate you? If you do not content yourself with fruits and vegetables can you not by mixing them, create infinite combinations, as Planita wrote?�.