Italian historian claims to have found location of bridge in Mona Lisa painting

Italian historian Silvano Vinceti has claimed that the bridge in the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting Mona Lisa belongs to a small town in Tuscany, reported The Guardian. The bridge is called the Romito di Laterina, and is located in the province of Arezzo. Earlier, theories had claimed the bridge visible in the landscape behind the subject of the painting is Ponte Buriano, near Laterina, and Ponte Bobbio, in Piacenza. Vinceti cited historical documents and drone images to determine the location of the bridge. He noted that the clincher for him was the number of arches. The bridge in the celebrated oil painting has four arches, matching the number of arches in Romito di Laterina (though the bridge now has only one arch, which stretches over Arno river, and the rest were destroyed).

Ponte Buriano has six arches, and Ponte Bobbio has more than six.

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Vinceti added that documents belonging to Medici family showed that the bridge was busy and functioning between 1501 to 1503. At that time, Leonardo was in the Val d'Arno area, first serving Cesare Borgia and then Piero Soderini. The bridge provided a shortcut that reduced the journey between Arezzo, Fiesole, and Florence by several hours.

What is the Mona Lisa painting?

If he is right, at least one mystery about the painting will be cleared for good. Also known as La Gioconda, the painting is a portrait painting by da Vinci, an Italian Renaissance artist. It is considered a masterpiece of the High Renaissance art, and depicts a seated woman, believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy Florentine merchant. She is seated with a serene and enigmatic expression, variously interpreted as a smile and neutral expression. Her gaze appears to follow the viewer, giving the painting a sense of mystery and intrigue.

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