Advertisement

Hunt for Mona Lisa model leads to Florence tomb

VIDEO: Researchers work to unearth woman believed to be model for Mona Lisa

FLORENCE, Italy – Researchers trying to identify the Renaissance model for Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” have excavated bones in a tomb in a Florence basilica in hopes they are the remains of her descendants.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Geologist Antonio Moretti told reporters in the Santissima Annunziata basilica Friday the remains had an inscribed stone indicating they belonged to the family of Lisa Gherardini’s husband and sons. Many believe she posed for Leonardo.

Researchers will run tests to see if DNA from the children’s bones is linked to female bones previously found in a Florence convent and believed to be those of Gherardini, who died around 1542. If the DNA tests are positive, experts plan to reconstruct the woman’s skull and compare it to the portrait. The sitter’s intriguing smile, however, might remain a mystery.

Advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices