From discovery.com: Mona Lisa’s Identity Confirmed by Document.
The mystery over the identity of the woman behind Leonardo da Vinci’s "Mona Lisa" painting has been solved once and for all, German academics at Heidelberg University announced on Tuesday.
Mona Lisa is "undoubtedly" Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, according to Veit Probst, director of the Heidelberg University Library.
Conclusive evidence came from notes written in October 1503 in the margin of a book.
Discovered two years ago in the library’s collection by manuscript expert Armin Schlechter, the notes were made by Florentine city official Agostino Vespucci, an acquaintance of Leonardo da Vinci, in an edition of letters by the Roman orator, Cicero.
In his annotations, Vespucci wrote that [continue]
This problem of Mona Lisa’s identity has been keeping me up nights, so I’m glad it’s finally settled.
I’m surprised this is presented as news. I thought the identity of La Gioconda (Mrs Giocondo) had been settled for centuries, except for conspiracy theorists.
Oh sure. But I’m with Sarah. At last I can sleep. But it’s pretty fascinating that it’s clearly been driving someone crazy, not knowing!