Lisa Gherardini identified as the subject of the Mona Lisa

The identity of the woman in Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has been a subject of debate for over five centuries. Most art historians and researchers identify the subject as Lisa Gherardini, a noblewoman from Florence and Chianti, Italy. Born in 1479, she was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a wealthy silk merchant. This connection is why the painting is also known as ‘La Gioconda’ in Italian.

Historical evidence suggests Francesco commissioned the portrait around 1503. A significant discovery in 2005 at the Heidelberg University Library supported this theory when Dr. Armin Schlatter found a handwritten note by Agostino Vespucci, a contemporary of Leonardo. The note, dated October 1503, explicitly mentions Leonardo working on a portrait of ‘Lisa del Giocondo’, providing strong evidence to resolve long-standing questions regarding the sitter's identity.