Mariano di Jacopo detto il Taccola (1381 – ca. 1453), called Taccola (the crow), was an Italian artist, engineer and administrator. He lived during the early Renaissance period. He wrote two important books, "De ingeneis" and "De machinis". These hand-drawn books have drawings of many new (for his time) machines. There are also descriptions of the machines. Leonardo da Vinci and other people used his books in the later Renaissance.