Mona Lisa's Florence

Is that you, Mona Lisa?

More than 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci began his portrait of Mona (Madame) Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo in Florence. The maestro understood that paintings endured long after human life ends, but he could never have anticipated that his depiction of a Renaissance wife and mother would inspire countless imitations over the centuries. Read more →

Finding Mona Lisa in Florence

Some 535 years after Lisa Gherardini's birth, a plaque now commemorates the place where Leonardo da Vinci's model was born on Via Sguazza, a narrow lane just off Via Maggio in the Oltrarno, the "other" or southern side of the Arno river. Read more →

See Florence through the Eyes of Mona Lisa

I am working with art historians and professional guides to develop walking tours that will provide a unique journey to and through Renaissance Florence. From October 1 to 9, we will be offering a limited number of previews. We will formally launch tours of Mona Lisa’s Florence in 2015. Read more →