Bones Found In Italy Could Be The Real Mona Lisa, Say Researchers

Bone fragments discovered in an Italian convent are “very likely” to be from the real-life Mona Lisa, according to researchers.

According to art historian Silvano Vinventi, the fragments, which were found in Florence, have been carbon dated to show that they originate from the same time that the Mona Lisa - whose real name was Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo - died.

Many historians believe that Gherardini was the real life model with the enigmatic smile who featured in Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous portrait.

Skeletal remains were exhumed from the the Florence convent in 2012 and Viventi and his team of researchers have been working ever since in order to prove their authenticity.

Vincent told Italian news site Gazetta Del Sud: “We can’t provide absolute certainty that some of the remains examined are Lisa’s but the likelihood is very high”.

He suggested that it could take several years and more advanced technology that has yet to be invented to definitively prove that the bone fragments belong to the real Mona Lisa.

(Image credit: Wikipedia)