Just weeks after discovering hidden symbols under the Mona Lisa’s eyes, art historians believe that they have identified the landscape featured in the enigmatic painting.
Scholars have deduced that the painting is most likely set in Northern Italy, south of Piacenza. Art historian Carla Glori believes that the bridge faintly visible behind the Mona Lisa is a reference to the village of Bobbio.
Researchers used historical records to identify the bridge and infer the exact location of the portrait. The arched bridge, which can be seen just over the woman’s left shoulder, was swept away by the River Tebbia during flooding in 1472. This date, and the newly uncovered symbols, proved to be crucial clues in solving the mystery. Silvano Vincenti, who lead the research team that discovered the hidden symbols, found a ‘7’ and ‘2’ cryptically painted into the span of the bridge.
"Leonardo added in the number 72 beneath the bridge to record the devastating flood of the River Trebbia and to allow it to be identified," Carla Glori explained.
Knowing the exact location of the painting may bring researchers one step closer to solving the mystery of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
