Azeri refers to someone from Azerbaijan. There is still question whether really Azeri or Armenian, or one of the other Middle East/Central Asia Tribes, Regions, Regimes, Countries, or Empires. 
 
Though not mentioned, DaVinci's Azeri mother must have been a result of Ottoman activity in Europe, rather than any other scenario.  

The Muslim/Ottoman Empire declared war against Venice in early 14th century, and made later incursions into Puglia, The Ottomans had a strong presence in the Balkans from the mid 14th century, including the Serbian Empire/Bosnia/Albania/Croatia, just across the Adriatic. The Ottomans threatened to overrun Europe until its defeat at the gates of Vienna in 1683, won by Polish-Austrian-German forces, that started the Habsburg dynasty

Was Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mother Azeri? 
 
Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty;  November 25, 2009 
 
A few years ago Leonardo Da Vinci researchers presented a theory claiming that the Renaissance artist’s mother, Caterina, had not actually been a local peasant as had previously been believed. 

According to documents discovered in 2002 in Da Vinci’s home town of Vinci in Tuscany, she had been brought to Italy as a Middle Eastern slave. Many Da Vinci experts, however, remained unconvinced.       But now the plot has thickened once again.

A relatively unknown Canadian scholar, Louis Buff Parry, who describes himself as an "artist, scientist, inventor, international scholar, and diplomat," has put forward a new theory suggesting that Da Vinci’s mother was Muslim and hailed from ... Azerbaijan. 

According to Perry, Caterina was the most common name given to slaves from the region of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul) and Da Vinci himself travelled to Turkey and Azerbaijan to discover his Caucasian roots. His findings were reported by a number of news agencies, mostly Azerbaijani and Turkish.

Perry presented his theory at Library and Archives Canada during a lecture last month entitled “The Eastern Mysteries of Leonardo Da Vinci and His Mother, Caterina.” The event was jointly organized by the embassies of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

-- Anna Zamejc 
 
http://www.rferl.org/content/Was_Leonardo_
Da_Vincis_Mother_Azeri/1887794.html
 

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