Charlotte Foster
Art

Italian historian makes major Mona Lisa breakthrough

A small town in Tuscany is revelling in excitement after it was claimed that a bridge in the backdrop of the Mona Lisa belongs to the town. 

Italian historian Silvano Vinceti determined that the bridge in the background of the most famous portrait in the world is in fact the Romito di Laterina bridge in the province of Arezzo: about 80km southeast of Florence. 

Leonardo da Vinci painted the masterpiece in Florence in the early 16th century, and ever since, it has been subject to disputes over the inspiration for the portrait. 

The identity of the woman in the painting - who is widely believed to be Lisa del Giocondo – has triggered as much speculation as the distant backdrop.

Past theories have identified the bridge as Ponte Buriano, close to Laterina, as well as Ponte Bobbio in the northern Italian city of Piacenza.

Using historical documents and drone images, and by making comparisons between the painting and photographs of the area, Vinceti said he is confident it was “the Etruscan-Roman bridge, Romito”.

Vinceti told reporters in Rome that the most telling detail of the bridge’s identity is the number of arches. 

The bridge in 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.

Another telltale sign, according to Vinceti, is the fact that the bridge was once a “very busy, functioning bridge”, that provided a shortcut between Florence and Arezzo.

Simona Neri, the mayor of Laterina, said Vinceti’s theory had caused a lot of excitement in the town of just over 3,500 people. 

She said, “We need to try to protect what’s left of the bridge.”

Image credits: Getty Images

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art, Mona Lisa, breakthrough, bridge, Italy