A Wing and a Prayer

A Wing and a Prayer is the third episode of Series 1 of Leonardo and was first broadcast on 18th April 2011 on CBBC.

Synopsis
Leonardo da Vinci has been working on a massive pair of Wings, with which he believes he&apos;s going to be able to fly. Convinced he&apos;ll die in the attempt, Lisa (Tom) does everything possible to stop him, but, as ever, Leonardo is determined and certain that the wings will work. But he faces greater danger from the villainous Rizzo, whom Machiavelli has double crossed, than he does from jumping off tall buildings. Rizzo wants the wings - but what he doesn&apos;t know is that Piero de Medici, Lorenzo de Medici&apos;s father, wants them even more.

Plot:
Florence 1469: We see Leonardo (Leo) standing atop a high building, arms stretched out as if attempting to fly. A flock of birds swoop past him causing him to whoop with delight.

In Maestro Verrocchio&apos;s studio, the Maestro is giving a lesson on drawing birds, berrating his students on their efforts. Le and Tom are arguing about Leo&apos;s newest invention. Tom thinks it is a mad idea. Verocchio tells the class he has been chosen by one on Florence&apos;s most wealthiest persons to paint his portraite and the apprentice who captures the essence of a bird in fligh will assist. He leavs the class to meet his client. Leo jumps at the chance of escaping for a few hours.

Out in the court yard, we see a massive set of Wings with which Leo plans to sore over Florence with. Tom continues to tell him how dangerous it will be.

In the catacombs beneath the city, the Luminari are gathered. Caporaso brings in a blindfolded engineer, Valerio, who excepts the task of building the Mechanical Man from Leo&apos;s Note Book.

Tom and Leo carry the Wings through the city, all the while Tom is still objecting.

In the Medici mansion, Pierio is talking with Verocchio about the painting. He wants to be painted with a falcon he has specially bought. Lorenzo walks in. He and Verocchio pretend not to know each other.

Back in town, Machavelli (Mac) is talking to one of his employees about selling his dodgy merchendise. The shady Rizzo and his henchman, Luca, overhear this information and belives the merchendise he got from Mac to be fake. He and Luca chase Mac through the streets.

Mac soon bumps in to Tom who is nearvously watch Leo who is standing atop a high building, strapped into his wings. Rizzo and Luca arrive just in time to see Leo leap from the roof. He glides for a few moments before crashing into a large bale of straw.

Rizzo approaches Leo with an offer of a sale of the wings, believing it give him more power then the duke or the Medici&apos;s. But Leo declines. Angred, Rizzo orders Luca to hold Mac as a bargining chip. Once the alterations have been made to the wings, he will retun Mac to his friends. He gives him two days.

Believing it to be the strength to weight ration, Leo begins to make the changes needed to keep him in flight. Lorenzo joins Leo and Tom, moaning he always misses the fun (due to a hat fitting). He and Tom argue about who is braver.

At Rizzo&apos;s place, Mac and Luca are sat opposite each other playing cards. Luca appears to be winning. Mac is pretending not to know how to play in order to let Luca win.

Leo states the he need a bird. One that glides, like and eagle or hawk. Lorenzo lets slip that his father has just bought the most expensive bird in Florrence - a falcon - for his painting.

As dusk falls, Lorenzo sneaks into his fathers study and steals the birdcage containg the falcon. He brings her back to Verocchio&apos;s studio where Tom names her Marietta.

In the morning, Piero summons his entire household into attendence, believing one of them to have stolen the falcon. None of them come forward. He asks Lorenzo if he has seen anything.

Back at Verocchio&apos;s, the Maestro returns in a rage. Cosimo explains that the portraite has been cancled due to the theft of the hawk. Leo decides he must finish his work that night.

Mac and Luca are still playing cards. Now bonded, Luca tells Mac that Rizzo is nothing but a common theif, even going as far as to show Mac his stolen goods.

On the second morning, Rizzo, with Luca and Mac in tow, arrive at the square where Leo is already atop one of the roofs, preparing to fly. Lorenzo and Tom are also in the square with Marietta. Rizzo notices the bird, but is more concerned about the Wings. Leo jumps from the roof and flies with out any trouble.

In the catacombs, Valerio is explaining to the Luminari the the creation of the Mechanical Man is impossible, simply a boy&apos;s fantasy. Un-willing to take this as an explination states "Anything is possible..."

Back in the squar, Rizzo orders to take the Wings from Leo the moment he lands. Mac tells he knows all about his stolen goods. This makes Rizzo more mad and says there is nothing to stop him from taking them. He tells Luca to shoot Leo down. Tom jumps at Luca, knocking his arm just as he fires. The arrow piercies one of the Wings sending Leo crashing to the floor. He is fine, but the Wings have been destroyed.

In a rage, Rizzo takes Marietta and tells Mac they have one hour to get him the Wings or he will stuff the bird. Leo decides to let Rizzo have the Wings and goe to collect the bird from him. On returning to the workshop, Lorenzo is annoyed that Rizzo swapped the cages. Marietta&apos;s original gage was guilded and jewel encrusted... and the new was is made of sticks... Leo also tells them that Rizzo will never fly with those Wings. They were designed to carry his weight. Know that he would come after them, Mac devises a plan...

Lorenzo goes to his father and tells him he was the one that stole the falcon, simply to impress his friends. But a man (fitting Rizzo&apos;s discripton) made off with it. Asking if he is going to have Rizzo imprisoned, Piero replies "something like that..."

Tom decides he wants to release Marietta. But Lorenzo is agenst the idea. Leo tells he he now knows the vastness of the skies and cannot denie her such freedom.

Piero arrives at Rizzo&apos;s place and confronts him about the bird. He tells him he only wanted the wings. Remebering the sketchs of Wings from Leo&apos;s Note Book. He tells Rizzo that he want&apos;s the Wings... and that he is going to test them.

Standing atop the higest roof in Florence, Rizzo is trying to convince himself he is a bird. Piero is watching from a near by window. Taking a deep breath, Rizzo jumps and plumits to the ground...

Verocchio is now sketching a portraite of Lorenzo as punishment for stealing the falcon. He tells Piero it will take about two weeks to compleate.

Leo, Tom and Mac gather in the square and release Marietta. She glides off into the sky and is joined by other birds. Leo and Tom run after her laughing.

Music Tracks

 * Blur - Song 2

Cast

 * Leonardo - Jonathan Bailey
 * Lisa/Tomaso - Flora Spencer-Longhurst
 * Machiavelli - Akemnji Ndifornyen
 * Lorenzo - Colin Ryan
 * Piero de Medici - Alistair McGowen
 * Verocchio - James Cunningham
 * Valerio - Mike Huff
 * Cosimo - Thembalethu Ntuli
 * Rizzo - Martin Le Maitre
 * Luca - Craig Hawks
 * Caporaso - Chris Olley