- The discovery has left a small town in Tuscany excited after the bridge is said to belong to a tiny Italian town of 3,500 people
ROME (Agencies): An Italian expert claims the mystery behind the Mona Lisa has finally been solved, as the bridge that Leonardo da Vinci painted in the background of the picture has been identified. Lengthy research conducted by historian, Silvano Vinceto, has discovered the bridge is located in a Tuscany beauty spot.
The bridge has been at the centre of disputes for years, but the latest findings in collaboration with La Rocca cultural association were based on new historical documents and comparisons between photos and the painting. The bridge is now revealed to be the Romito Bridge in the Tuscan town of Laterina.
Speaking at a media conference in Rome, Vinceti said: “The distinctive form of the Arno [River] along that stretch of territory corresponds to what Leonardo portrayed in the landscape to the left of the woman depicted in the famous painting.”
It has previously been claimed that da Vinci modelled the bridge after other structures in Tuscany, such as ones in Bobbio and Buriano, but Mr Vinceti argued neither of those bridges had four arches.