The True Identity of Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is arguably the most famous painting in the world and has been shrouded in mystery and myth for hundreds of years. A painting by the world renowned artist Leonardo Da Vinci, who himself has also sparked the interest of conspiracy theorists and cult fanatics. The true identity of The Mona Lisa has been disputed for centuries, as the painting was neither signed nor dated by the great Da Vinci. Some believe her to be a feminine self portrait of Da Vinci himself. Others look for clues believed to have been left in his art work, leading to facts about a secret society. Books like Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" have brought these theories into public light.

Despite the arise of conspiracy theories; Lisa Gherardini, who was the third wife of Francesco del Giocondo, is believed by many to be the subject of the painting. Francesco del Giocondo was a upper class silk merchant; together he and Lisa Gherardini had five children. In a biography of Da Vinci by Giorgio Vasari he named Lisa Gherardini as the subject; she was given the name Mona Lisa, Mona meaning "lady" or "madam". Some theories suggest that Gherardini's father and Da Vinci's father were good friends, and Leonardo Da Vinci was commissioned to do the portrait.

A Mona Lisa exert, Giuseppe Pallanti, recently uncovered her death certificate in a church in Florence, Italy. According to it she died on July 15, 1542 and was buried at Sant'Orsola, currently an area near San Lorenzo basilica. Pallanti, and others like him have devoted decades of his life, searching through archives in Florence. He authored the book "Mona Lisa Revealed: The True Identity of Leonardo's Model."

"The Mona Lisa" is owned by the French government and has spent much of her time in the Louvre since after the French revolution. Although Napoleon Bonaparte had the painting moved into his bedroom, it was later returned to the Louvre. In 1911 "The Mona Lisa" was stolen by a museum employee, he kept it in his apartment for 2 years and was then caught after an attempt to sell it to an art dealer. She resumed her rightful spot in the Louvre in 1913.