Remains found beneath the floor of a convent in Florence may belong to Mona Lisa

 It all began last year, when a team of archaeologists started digging at the abandoned Convent of Saint Ursula (St.Orsola), where they would soon discover a female human skull along with other fragments of human ribs and vertebrae five feet under the convent's original floor. For the team, that crypt located under the remains of the altar, was Lisa Gherardini's final resting place.
However, the digging works were suspended due to the lack of funds and only recently, the team of archaelogists was able to resume their work.

 According to archaelogist Silvano Vinceti, who is in charge of the dig , his search in the convent was based on church records found by historian Giuseppe Pallanti a few years ago. Records from 1495 mention a crypt that was accessed by the archaelogists via a grate followed by a staircase. The second crypt found by the team, where they believe to be the bones belonging to Mona Lisa, is mentioned in the records from 1625.

 During his extensive research, Pallanti found several significant documents, including Francesco del Giocondo's will, where he asked his younger daughter Marietta to take care of his "beloved wife" Lisa.
Marietta was one of the couple's five children and at the time of the will had become a nun, thus she brought her mother to the nearby convent of Saint Ursula, where she would remain for the rest of her life.

 Pallanti found in the church archive, a document known as "Book of the Dead," where it states the following: "Lisa di Francesco del Giocondo died on July 15, 1542 and was buried in Sant'Orsola."
The document noted that the whole parish turned out to her funeral, demonstrating that Lisa was renowned among the Florentine society.

 Vinceti said that the newly discovered remains will undergo DNA testing, radiocarbon dating and hystological analysis. Comparisons will eventually be made with the DNA of Lisa's children Bartomoleo and Piero, who are buried in the church of Santissima Annunziata in Florence.

 Should the tests confirm that those bones belong to a female skeleton, according to Silvano Vinceti there will be two possibilites: Either they belong to Lisa Gherardini or to the noblewoman Maria del Riccio, since according to historic records, only these two women, who were not nuns, were given special burials in the convent.

 In the outcame of a positive confirmation that not only the bones but also the skull belong to Lisa Gherardini, forensic artists will attempt to reconstruct her face to see how it compares with the portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci near 500 years ago. Maybe it will also help to solve or at least shed some light upon Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile.

 Known in Italy as La Giconda or La Joconde in France, Lisa Gherardini (June 15, 1479 - July 15, 1542) was married to the wealthy Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. Among the experts exists the concensus that she was the inspiring muse who posed for the most famous portrait in the world: Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

Oldest copy of Mona Lisa found in El Prado

It's no news that the famous portrait by Leonardo da Vinci has always been involved in mistery and has been object of some of the most finical conjectures and theories, namely during the last couple of years. Also with the latest technological developments, important conclusions have been draw.

But a new discover announced this Wednesday by the Museo del Prado has hit the art world like a bomb: The oldest known copy of Mona Lisa - it's not like the usual copies completed during all these centuries, it's a copy accomplished at the same time that the original one and quite probably painted aside by one of Da Vinci students, either Andrea Salai or Francesco Melzi.

Mentioned in the catalogue of Museo del Prado, the painting that for several years stood in the museum's archives, thought to be painted by a Dutch painter because the experts thought that it was painted on oak (a wood not used by Florentine painters), was afteral painted on walnut.
Moreover, after the cleaning and consequent removing of a dark background thought to be added in the 18th century, a Tuscan landscape was revealed.



Measuring 77cm X 53cm (the original measures 76cm X 57cm), this recently discovery is one of the most important ones in the last decades and will soon be exhibited in the Museo del Prado, after which will be traveling to the Louvre where it will be shown to the public side by side with Leonardo's Mona Lisa.

"Leonardo. The genius, the myth" in Turin

An exceptional exhibition featuring near thirty original drawings on loan from leading Italian and international museums, and several writings on the famous Leonardo's Self-Portrait from the Royal Library of Turin, is taking place at the Scuderie Juvarriane della Reggia di Venaria (Venaria Reale) in Turin, Italy.
This is the third time that the master's self-portrait is shown to the public.

The introductory section of the exhibition presents a biography of the artist and references to Leonardo’s social context, his cultural background and training, as well as an overview on his various fields of activity.
A video curated by Piero Angela, entitled “What did the young Leonardo look like?”, illustrates Leonardo’s work with particular emphasis on the artist’s appearance.
At the end of the exhibition, a multimedia display designed and produced by Haltadefinizione, features a digital replica on a 1:1 scale of The Last Supper, on which an indepth analysis takes place concerning the physical appearance and expressions on this masterpice.
Leonardo's legacy is shown through a number of films representative of his Genius, curated by Arnaldo Colasanti.

Curated by Carlo Pedretti, Paola Salvi and Clara Vitulo, the drawings section presents the Codex on the Flight of Birds (Codice sul volo degli uccelli) and a complete set of near thirteen original works by Leonardo that are part of the collections of the Royal Library of Turin, including the famous Self-Portrait. Italian and international loans provide additional context and further integrate the subjects present in the Turin collection, with a special focus on the human face,
nature, human anatomy and machines.

Selected works by artists from the late 15th to the 19th century, curated by Pietro C. Marani, provide an overview of the figure of Leonardo in literature and figurative art, as the very appearance of the artist becomes an icon of the Renaissance genius.
Starting in the 1500s the image of the Master was associated with that of Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher who led the way into the investigation of nature.

With curatorship of Roberto Barilli, the figure of Leonardo in contemporary art, opens with the Vitruvian Man by Mario Ceroli and the famous tribute Mosa Lisa with moustache by Marcel Duchamp.
The Last Supper has served an inspiration for many artists, reprised by Andy Warhol as well as many other recent protagonists of the art scene like Spoerri, Nitsch, Recalcati and David La Chapelle.
Leonardo’s Notes from the Treatise on Painting describe stains on the walls as forms of arcane passages, a theme that was embraced by Informal Art and specifically Tachisme, including Tàpies, Rotella, Bendini and Novelli.

The exhibition is organised in the vast spaces of the 18th-century Great Stables by Filippo Juvarra of the Reggia di Venaria.
The display is designed by the Academy-Award winner Dante Ferretti, who presents Leonardo’s imposing machines as spectacular settings that contain original works.
Elaborate video projections on the walls celebrate the Self-Portrait.
A catalogue is available through Silvana Editoriale.

"Leonardo: The genius, the myth" (Leonardo. Il genio, il mito) can be visited from November 17, 2011 to January 29, 2012 at the Juvarra Stables of the Reggia di Venaria, Turin Italy. Tuesday - Friday (9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.), Saturday and Sunday (9.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.). Closed on Mondays (except for any public holidays, in which the visiting hours are the same as Sunday).
The exhibition is closed on December 25.
On January 1st, opens at 11.00 a.m.

Given the exceptional nature of the exhibition and the extraordinary measures required for the conservation and the safety of the works on display, only 120 visitors are allowed inside the Stables every 30 minutes.

This major exhibition marks the end of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of
Italy’s Unification, a tribute to the brightest example of the Italian creative genius.

100 years ago Vincenzo Peruggia snatched the Mona Lisa from the Louvre

August 21, 1911, a black haired man with a big moustache, medium height, strong-sturdy build, dressed in dark work clothes and a straw hat is spoted by a witness carrying a package. That man is Vincenzo Peruggia and he's carrying the famous Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa or La Gioconda.
Paris and the world are in shock, how could that happen ?

Born in Dumenza, Italy, on October 8, 1881, Peruggia started earning his living since the early age of twelve working as house painter, carpenter and handyman.
Like many others with similiar skills, he emigrated to France to try a better living.
However he didn't feel welcomed in a country where French called him "mangeur de macaroni" (macaroni eater) and teased him about his accent.
He also held a strong belief that many of the art treasures in the Louvre had been looted by Napoleon from Italy.

During the time that Peruggia lived in Paris, he was involved in minor offences: an attempted robber in 1908, being released twenty four hours later, and a dispute with a prostitute in 1909 where the illegal possession of a knife got him eight days in jail.

Vincenzo Peruggia, who was employed by the Paris firm of carpenters, worked on the MonaLisa's wooden shadow box for three weeks, which permited him to familiarize with the Louvre's layout, entrances and exits, and most importantly with the security guards routines.

The museum was always closed on Mondays for cleaning, repairs and other necessary tasks, and on that day of August 21, 1911, Peruggia went briskly into the premise and reported directly to Salon Carré, where at least ten men were working nearby.
He snatched the painting off of the wall and carried it to a service stairway, there he took the painting out of its wooden frame and tossed both the frame and protective glass covering.
He found out that the door at the end of the stairs was closed and had the brilliant idea of removing the door's knob and putting it in his pocket. When a plumber named Sauvet walked by, he adressed to him saying "Look! Some idiot stole the door knob! How can we get out now?". Sauvet used his key to open the door and the Mona Lisa was now out of the museum.
Once outside, Peruggia tossed the doorknob over a fence and fled.

On Tuesday, August 22, 1911, the French artist named Louis Beroud, who frequently painted the rooms of the Louvre, set up his easel in the Salon Carre' at the Louvre to paint a picture of the room. On this day the Mona Lisa, which hung between Titian's Allegory and Corregio's Betrothal of Saint Catherine, was missing. Annoyed at the paintings absence, he approached a guard named Poupardin and inquired about its return. Poupardin assumed that the painting had been removed for photographing; it was very common for a painting to be moved here and there with very little controls in place. A short time later, after some badgering by Beroud, Poupardin went searching for the masterpiece. By 11h00, the guard that was entrusted by the populace of France to protect a national treasure, had realized that the painting was missing. Poupardin could only declare "C'est parti!".

When Perugia fled with the painting, he was observed by a witness who gave a discription of the art thieft and permited the police to establishe a time of the theft, as well as the direction of flight that the suspect took.

The legendary French criminologist, Alphonse Bertillon, who was in charge of the case, lifted a thumbprint from the glass case that was left in the stairway.
However in that era, only the right hands of offenders were printed, and although Bertillon maintained files and fingerprints on over 750,000 criminals, the thumbprint that was lifted from the painting's glass case was from a left hand.
All employees, past and present, were interrogated and fingerprinted, including Vincenzo Peruggia, interviewed on Nov. 26, 1911, by Inspector Brunet. He was cleared after convincing the inspector that he was an innocent, hardworking man.

Also Pablo Picasso and Gillaume Apollinaire became suspects in the MonaLisa's theft after they were fingered for buying valuable statuettes that were stolen from a Louvre storeroom. They were both brought in by police for questioning.

Peruggia continued to work in Paris, where he built a trunk with a false bottom and hid the painting in it, wrapped in a red cloth. The carpenter transported the painting in this trunk by train to Florence, where he arrived on December 10, 1913 and stayed at the Hotel-Tripoli-Italia, on Via Panzoni; room 20 on the third floor.

From there, Peruggia contacted Alfredo Geri, the owner of La Galleria Borgognissanti. He sent him a letter stating: "I am an Italian patriot that was seized by the desire to return to my Italy one of the numerous treasures that Napolean stole from her."
The two met in Geri's office, along with the director of the Uffizi, Giovanni Poggi. Both Poggi and Geri understood immediately that the painting was the original, but pretended to have doubts. They convinced Peruggia to let them have the painting over night to have expert testing conducted at the Uffizi. Peruggia complied and the two departed with the painting and immediately notified the authorities. They claimed that Peruggia requested 500,000 Lira for the work (which Peruggia, who still wished to portray himself as the selfless patriot, denied in the trial that followed). Peruggia was arrested on Dec 11, 1913, by Francesco Tarantelli.



The Italian Goverment recused his extradition and he was sentenced to 1 year and 15 days for his crime. On appeal his sentence was reduced to 7 months and 9 days (another article with sligthly different facts, mentions 7 months and 4 days in Florence's Le Murate prison).

The Mona Lisa was displayed at the Uffizi, the Borghese Gallery, Villa Medici, Farnese Palace and the Brera Museum, and was viewed by tens of thousands of Italians. On January 4, 1914, after a well protected train ride back to Paris, the masterpiece was re-hung in the Salon Carré.



In January 1914, Alfredo Geri was awarded a 25,000 Franc Reward and received the Rosette of France's Legion d'Honneur.

Vincenzo Peruggia returned to Dumenza a hero. He served honourably in the Italian army during WWI. In 1921, he married an Italian girl, and in spite of his alleged distaste of the French, moved his family to France, where he opened a hardware store outside of Paris. He led a quiet, prosperous life in France and according to his daughter, Celestina, he died at age 44, of a heart attack in Haute-Savoie in 1925.

It's mentioned that con man Marqué Eduardo de Valfierno, who partnered with Yves Chaudron, a conservator and master forger, contacted Peruggia to steal the Mona Lisa, so they could sell it for a fortune. Chaudron did not really want to sell the painting, nor did he even care where it ended up.
Valfierno's plans were for Chaudron to make several copies and sell all of them as the original to foreign collectors.
If the Mona Lisa was ever recovered and returned to the Louvre, he would assure his customers that the Louvre was displaying a fake because it could not admit losing a national treasure of France.

So, was Peruggia an eccentric romantic, a selfless patriot, a noble idealist, or just another greedy thief? No matter how you view him, his daring crime marks the beginning of a turbulent century that is marked by huge art thefts, massive war looting, and the development of a ten billion dollar a year trade in illicit antiquities.

This article is inspired and contains excerpts from yourBrushwiththeLaw.