This scene put a smile on Mona Lisa's face.

It is one of the most famous paintings in the world: “Mona Lisa”. It is certain that every millimeter of the picture painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1503 has been scientifically studied over the past centuries. But one question remains unanswered. What scene can be seen in the background of the picture?

According to geologist and art historian Anne Pizzorusso, the secret of the landscape has now been revealed. Many myths, legends and alleged scientific evidence surround the landscape in which “La Gioconda” was painted. It must be the Romito Bridge at Laterina in the Tuscan province of Arezzo, or Bobbio in Emilia-Romagna, or just an imaginary landscape created by da Vinci. “All is not well,” Pizzorosso now tells the British.guardianHe said. According to the researcher, “Mona Lisa” was painted against the background of the landscape of the Lecco region in northern Italy.

“Mona Lisa” has so far been viewed as very one-sided

For Pizzorosso, the similarities are unmistakable. “I'm very happy about it. I have a real feeling that this is a direct hit,” the scientist told The Guardian. In the past, the focus of the definition of landscape was primarily on the bridge, which can be seen in the background of the image. A very one-sided view, he emphasizes Art Historian: After all, such arched bridges were everywhere in Italy and Europe at the time the Mona Lisa was built at the beginning of the 16th century, so it is impossible to determine the identity based on the bridge alone, so she also focused her attention on geology .

A change in perspective was crucial for her to define the area. “Geologists don't look at pictures, and historians don't look at geology,” Pizzorusso was quoted as saying. She is convinced that you can show the photo to any geologist and he will support her statement. The dominant rock at Lecco is limestone, and Leonardo also painted gray and white rocks in the painting “Mona Lisa.” A perfect match for the geologist and Renaissance expert. However, it has been historically proven in Leonardo's notebooks that da Vinci spent a lot of time exploring the landscape around Lecco.