Vinci's origins trace back to the Middle Ages when the Guidi Counts controlled the area and built the fortress known as the "ship castle" for its elongated, ship-like architecture. Since 1953, it houses the Leonardo Museum, one of the largest collections dedicated to the Tuscan genius. The museum spans the Guidi Castle and the Uzielli building, showcasing Leonardo’s models, such as airplane prototypes and war machines, alongside exhibits on textile technology, anatomy, and clocks.

In the castle square, Mario Ceroli’s wooden sculpture, The Man of Vinci, pays homage to the Vitruvian Man, while the terrace offers stunning countryside views, often featured in Leonardo’s works. The castle also hosts the Leonardo Library, a vital resource for scholars, with reproductions of his drawings and manuscripts. Nearby, the 13th-century Santa Croce Church, where Leonardo was reportedly baptized, still holds its original baptismal font.