Mona Lisa's Grave Found

The woman behind Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa painting may be buried near a now derelict building in the heart of Florence, according to archival documents. The exact location of Mona Lisa's burial site, the convent of Sant'Orsola, was just a about 900 feet away from the house of the artist's father, according to the historian, Giuseppe Pallanti. "The mystery of Mona Lisa's identity is over. My study shows that she did exist. The author of two books on the Mona Lisa, Pallanti has identified her as Lisa Gherardini, the wife of the wealthy Florentine silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo. Pallanti's research supports a claim first made in 1550 by Giorgio Vasari. In his writing, Lives of the Artists, the 16th century painter and art historian named Lisa Gherardini Del Giocondo as the subject of the portrait. Among many theories, it has been suggested that Del Giocondo commissioned Leonardo for the painting to mark his wife's second pregnancy when she was about 24. Attempts to solve the enigma around her famous smile as well as her identity, have included theories that she was the artist's mother, a noblewoman, a courtesan, even a prostitute. Theories also abound that the sitter was happily pregnant, or affected by various diseases ranging from facial paralysis to compulsive gnashing of teeth. The newly discovered documents show that Leonardo's father — a local notary, Ser Piero da Vinci — and Lisa's family were neighbors, living about 10 feet away from each other. Irish Art