Da Vinci's Code

Da Vinci&apos;s Code is the second episode of Series 1 of Leonardo and was first broadcast on 11th April 2011 straight after episode one, Anything Is Possible, on the CBBC network.

Synopsis
Unknown to his son, the theft of Leonardo&apos;s Note Book has been masterminded by Lorenzo de Medici&apos;s father, Piero de Medici. But it proves to be no use to him because all the formulae and calculations are written in code. Piero employs Lorenzo&apos;s maths teacher Professor Pico to decipher the code and Leonardo, too clever for a mere maths professor, manages to outwit him - though he has to risk his life in the process.

Plot
Florence 1469: The Luminari are gathered in a secret chamber. Piero is reading from the Note Book, is explaining that some of Leonardo da Vinci&apos;s (Leo&apos;s) ideas are nothing but childish, but some... "are magnifico!" he shows them a picture of what looks like mechanical man.

Leo and Machiavelli (Mac) have returned to the catacombs to continue looking for the Note Book. Instead, they find a pair of ivory rimmed reading spectacles, leading them to believe that someone had recently been there.

Tomaso (Tom) wakes to find the other apprentices have left a lizard on her while she was sleeping. This nearly leads to her revealing her long hair.

In the Medici mansion, Lorenzo is attending a rather boring maths class, tutored by Professor Pico, or Poker-Face Pico as Lorenzo calls him. Before he can mark the boy&apos;s work, he looks for his lost spectacles. A servant interrupts the lesson with a note for Pico. He excuses himself saying that he has family business to attend to. Before leaving he sets Lorenzo some homework.

Back in the secret chamber, Piero explains that the Luminari plan to create great weapons from Leo&apos;s ideas to help them remove the Duke Of Florence from power. But all of the notes are coded. To decipher the codes, he brings in Professor Pico, already a member of the Luminari.

Leo, Mac, Tom and Lorenzo discuss who the spectacles could belong to. Mac says that there are not that many Lens-Makers in Florence, let alone ones that have Ivory. Andrea del Verrocchio interrupts and orders them back to class. Leo has a canvas to finish and Tom has to reproduce a lifesize sculpture from a miniature. Feeling overwhelmed, she begins to map out the points on the rock.

Meanwhile, in the Medici mansion, Professor Pico is trying to decode Leo&apos;s papers. Piero, eager to get answers looms over him " It&apos;s a child's diary... "

Leo is helping Tom to plot points when Mac arrives to tell them he has found the Optician. They will need the help of Lorenzo as the lense maker is a very exclusive one. Gilberto Degli Specchi.

On arrival, Leo tells Lorenzo that he and Mac will look around the place for clues while he is having his eyes tested. Gilberto is ecstatic at the thought of attending to one of the wealthiest persons in Florence. He sets about doing tests, but before he can do much, Professor Pico interrupts asking for his new glasses. Gilberto explains that he is still waiting for a shipment of Ivory from Africa for the rims. Pico leaves, annoyed.

Now knowing who the lost lenses belong to, Leo and Mac follow Pico to a Cafe where he is found to be reading the stolen Note Book. Once Lorenzo re-joins the group, Leo confronts Pico. Now caught, he quickly explains that the Luminari have his wife, his son, Alfredo, and daughter, Fiameta, and will kill them if he does not decode the Note Book by midnight. Hearing this Leo decides to help. They decide to meet at Pico's home, Via Ventura, after dark.

Deciding it would be too dangerous to cross the city after curfew, Mac suggests disguising Leo as a priest, as they are allowed to move freely about the town.

We cut back to Tom, still struggling with the sculpture. Eventually, she collapses to the floor in tears, knnowing that if she cannot complete this task, she will not be able to continue as an apprentice. Leo sees this and offers to help. Resigning herself to defeat, Tom decides to help Leo cross the city, but figuring it would be too dangerous, he leaves without her.

As dusk falls, Lorenzo is pacing the floor at home. Piero asks him if he has done his homework. Lorenzo tells him Pico didn&apos;t set any as he left early on family matters. Piero becomes irritated, says that he is not a good liar and that Pico does not have a family. On hearing this vital bit of information, Lorenzo and Mac rush to Verocchio&apos;s studio and find Tom there still working, who explains that Leo already left. Lorenzo heads home, saying he is already in trouble with his father leaving Mac to rescue their friend on his own.

Leo is examining various mathematical devices in Pico study when he enters. He begins to ask questions about Pico&apos;s family. For a second, Pico forgets about them before suddenly remembering and begging Leo to help him save them, as his daughter, Francesca, is only six. Noticing the name change, Leo realises it is a trap but says he will help. As he begins to un-code the papers using The Fibonacci Sequence as an inverted matrix, we see Mac making his way across town to warn him.

Now knowing how to unscramble the codes, Pico pulls out a shot gun and aims it at Leo. A well-timed knock on the door by Mac distracts Pico long enough for Leo to escape out into the streets. Together, the two hide amongst some crates as the town clock strikes midnight. Pico leaves, threating that he knows where Leo lives.

In the catacombs beneath the city, Pico is desperately trying to finish translating the code, but cannot. Piero looms over him telling him, saying that there is no room for amateur and bids him goodbye, menacingly. Pico gets to his feet and hurriedly rushes out in the dark tunnels. Piero nods to Caporaso who also goes out into the tunnels. As Pico turns a corner, Caporaso grabs the torch in his hands. Pico&apos;s eyes widen in fear as the torch is blown out.

Next morning, Leo and Tom are walking the streets eating breakfast. Leo explains that he picked up on the name changes and knew that Pico was lying. Lorenzo is summoned to his Father's chambers where Piero, mid shave, tells him that Pico has left Florence unexpectedly on personal business and would not be coming back. Lorenzo looks concerned. He tells his father he has cut himself and leave. As Piero turns to look in the mirror, he sees Leo&apos;s notes clearly in the reflectin, deducing that they have been written backwards.

Worried that he will be thrown out of the studio, Tom is summoned by Verrocchio. There he tells him that 'His' eagerness to learn out weighs the mistakes 'He' made with the stone and 'He' can stay. Leo offers to cut her long hair to help maintain the disguise, but Mac arrives in time with a boys wig. Tom is over joyed and the episode ends with them all laughing.

Music Tracks

 * The Zutons - Someone Watching Over Me

Cast

 * Leonardo - Jonathan Bailey
 * Lisa/Tomaso - Flora Spencer-Longhurst
 * Machiavelli - Akemnji Ndifornyen
 * Lorenzo - Colin Ryan
 * Piero de Medici - Alistair McGowen
 * Verrocchio - James Cunningham
 * Professor Pico - Malcome Terrey
 * Gilberto degli Specchi - Alistair Prodgers
 * Caporaso - Chris Olley