No one knows exactly what the background of the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting on display at the Louvre, represents. But Silvano Vinceti, an Italian historian, has his own idea. According to HuffPost, he recognized the Ponte Romito, characteristic of the municipality of Laterina, located in the province of Arezzo, south of Florence (Italy).
Recognized by its arches
By comparing the painting with historical documents of the Medici family and photographs taken by drones, the man is convinced to have identified the structure represented behind the left shoulder of Mona Lisa, next to the river. "The bridge of Leonardo's painting had four arches, as did the Romito. Ponte Buriano, on the other hand, has six arches, while Ponte Bobbio has more than six," he told the Guardian.
Today, there remains only an arch of this bridge that crossed the Arno and which would have been very busy in the early sixteenth century. As a reminder, the Mona Lisa was painted between 1503 and 1517, according to expert estimates. At the time, Da Vinci may have regularly resided in Fiesole, north of Florence.
A spotlight on Laterina
This discovery highlights the municipality of Laterina and its 3,500 inhabitants. Simona Neri, the mayor, sees it as an opportunity to discover the small town and showcase its heritage. She also hopes that the link between Laterina and the Mona Lisa will facilitate the preservation of the building. "We have to try to protect what's left of the bridge, which will require funding," she said.
If we still do not know if it is really the Ponte Romito, the identity of the woman painted by Leonardo da Vinci is more and more certain. It would be the Florentine Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo.
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