Has the 'most controversial' mystery in the Mona Lisa painting been solved?

Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is perhaps the most famous painting in the world. Hundreds of years later, people still have not solved all the mysteries surrounding this painting.

More than 500 years after Leonardo da Vinci painted the 'Mona Lisa' , one scholar believes she has unraveled the mystery of the setting of one of the world's most famous works of art.

The landscape behind Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa has sparked endless debate, with some art historians arguing that the scene is imaginary and idealized, while others argue that there is various connections to specific Italian locations, NBC News reported on May 16.

Painting "Mona Lisa" by the Italian almighty genius Leonardo da Vinci. (Photo: IanDagnall Computing/Alamy).

Now, a geologist and Renaissance art historian believes she has finally solved the mystery of one of the world's most famous paintings - the Mona Lisa.

Latest discovery in the painting "Mona Lisa"

Ann Pizzorusso has combined her two areas of expertise to suggest that Leonardo painted some of the recognizable features of the city of Lecco on the southeastern shore of Lake Como in the Lombardy region of northern Italy.

The Italian geologist combined the bridge, mountains and lake in the Mona Lisa with Lecco's 14th-century Azzone Visconti bridge , and the southwestern Alps overlooking the area and Lake Garlate - where Leonardo known to have visited 500 years ago.

"The similarities are undeniable" - Ann Pizzorusso said.

Ann Pizzorusso believes that Leonardo painted some of the recognizable features of the city of Lecco on the southeastern shore of Lake Como. (Photo: Ann Pizzorusso).

Previous theories include the 2011 claim that the bridge and road in the Mona Lisa belong to Bobbio, a small town in northern Italy; and the 2023 discovery that Leonardo drew a bridge in the province of Arezzo.

"However, focusing only on the bridge is not enough. Arched bridges are ubiquitous in Italy and Europe, and many bridges look very similar. It is impossible to determine the exact location from just one bridge. demand" - Ann Pizzorusso said.

Ann Pizzorusso notes that the rocks at Lecco are limestone and that Leonardo described his rocks as grey-white.

Ann Pizzorusso compared Leonardo's bridge to Lecco's 14th-century Azzone Visconti bridge. (Photo: Ann Pizzorusso).

Ann Pizzorusso's analysis of the vegetation and geology in the landscape surrounding the central figure revived the debate.

Michael Daley, Director of the monitoring agency ArtWatch UK (UK), said: "Art historians have previously speculated about the location in the scene behind the Mona Lisa. And Ann Pizzorusso has convincingly determined it." this site with evidence of Leonardo's presence in the area and its geology".

Location of the city of Lecco on the map. (Source: Google Map).

Jacques Franck, former consultant at the Louvre museum (France), said: 'I don't doubt for a second that Ann Pizzorusso was correct in her theory. Thanks to her impeccable knowledge of the geology of Italy – and more precisely of the places where Leonardo traveled during his life – she was able to name the place names that correspond to the mountain landscapes in the Mona Lisa ".

This weekend, Ann Pizzorusso will present her evidence at a geological conference in the city of Lecco.

"I am really excited about these findings - and it is almost certain that Leonardo painted the landscape from the exact location where we are holding our conference (the city of Lecco)" - she speak.

"Mona Lisa" - oil painting on birch panel by Leonardo da Vinci is perhaps the most famous painting in the world. Leonardo painted it sometime between 1503 and 1519, while he was living in Florence, the capital of Italy's Tuscany region.

This painting is currently hanging in the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.

Mona Lisa's mysterious smile, eyebrowless eyes and unproven identity have made the painting an endless source of inspiration for academics over the past hundred years.