Mona Lisa’s Florence

Nearly everyone on the globe recognizes the woman in Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, whether or not they have seen the iconic portrait in person in the Louvre. But many viewers don’t realize that the portrait probably represents a real woman who lived at the turn of the 16th century in Florence. So, just who is Mona Lisa and what is her connection to Florence?

The traditional interpretation is that Leonardo’s famous portrait represents the likeness of Lisa Gherardini, the