More than five centuries have passed since its creation, but the “Mona Lisa” still causes a stir. Now one of the many mysteries surrounding Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece should have been solved.
The landscape in the background of the painting depicts the Romito Bridge in Laterina, in the Tuscan province of Arezzo, experts said at a press conference in Rome on Wednesday. Historian Silvano Vinceti, president of the Italian Committee for the Valorization of the Historical Cultural and Ecological Heritage, coordinated research showing that Leonardo immortalized the Etruscan-Roman bridge Romito in the painting.
Only an arch of the bridge survives today
“Today only one arch remains, but between 1501 and 1503 the bridge was heavily used, as evidenced by a document found in the State Archives of Florence about the very latest objects in the possessions of the Medici family,” Vinceti reported.
“Leonardo was in the Arno Valley at the time, initially employed by Cesare Borgia. The Romito bridge had four arches, rested on two rocks and was part of a path that shortened the route between the Tuscan cities of Arezzo, Fiesole and Florence by several kilometers,” said the historian.
Da Vinci often stayed nearby
To substantiate the statement, photos were taken with a drone and a virtual reconstruction of the bridge was presented. In addition, historical documents were shown that prove that Leonardo was often in the Laterina area at that time.
The “Mona Lisa” is a world-famous oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci from the heyday of the Italian Renaissance at the beginning of the 16th century. The original painting has been exhibited in the art museum of the Louvre in Paris since the late 18th century and is considered one of its most famous exhibits.
Source: Krone
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