Mona Lisa's Florence

Review of MONA LISA: A Life Discovered

Florence is a magical city. Upon receiving my college degree, I was fortunate to have won a generous scholarship from the Patrons of Italian Culture in Los Angeles and studied in Florence for a summer program. It was there I learned to speak the language of my ancestors and fully embraced the beautiful Italian culture. For anyone who loves Florence, Mona Lisa, a Life Discovered is the book for you. Read more →

An Interview about the Real Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa, La Gioconda from Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, was a real person. And we’re not talking about a self-portrait of the artist, as you may think. Mona Lisa was a real Florentine woman, born and raised in Florence under the name of Lisa Gherardini. To learn all the details of this amazing story, we spoke to the author of the book Mona Lisa, A Life Discovered, Dianne Hales, who gave us this exclusive interview Read more →

Another Fascinating Italian Woman: Luisa Spagnoli

On March 8, the Italian Cultural Institute observed International Women’s Day with best-selling author, Dianne Hales. Ms. Hales’ revealing presentation about the life and achievements of Luisa Spagnoli was a perfect complement to International Women’s Day. This story is actually about two extraordinary women, Luisa and Dianne. Read more →

New Life for Mona Lisa's Final Resting Place

Mona Lisa Gherardini, the woman with the world's most recognized smile, celebrates her 538th birthday this month. The mother of six children lived quietly as a merchant's wife in Florence. Yet mysteries have long surrounded her. The greatest, still unsolved, is why the renowned Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci chose to paint her portrait. For centuries, scholars puzzled over another question: Where and when did she die? Read more →

Mona Lisa Goes Global

Mona (Madame) Lisa Gherardini, born in 1479, never ventured beyond her native Italy, yet hers is a face recognized around the world. As Mona LIsa: A Life Discovered makes its way into foreign translations, I delight in seeing the story of this Florentine wife and mother travel into different languages and different places. Read more →

Celebrating the Quintessential Renaissance Artist

The consummate Renaissance man was born on April 15, 1452 in rural Anchiano, a hamlet near the town of Vinci. His mother, Caterina, was an unmarried country girl. His father Piero, a legal professional called a notaio, moved to Florence shortly thereafter and wed a socially suitable bride. Young Leonardo, listed as “non legittimo” in the local tax records, grew up in his paternal grandparents' home. Read more →

How Did the ‘Mona Lisa’ End up in France?

The Mona Lisa is quite possibly the most well-known piece of painted artwork in the entire world. It was painted by the Leonardo da Vinci in the early 16th century and was commissioned by Francesco Del Giocondo. The subject of the painting is his wife, Lisa, who was born to a well-known family from Tuscany. Her husband was a very wealthy silk merchant. The work was commissioned to celebrate the completion of their home and the birth of their second son. It was only in 2005 that the identity of Mona Lisa‘s subject was finally agreed upon by historians. Read more →

Mona Lisa's Italian Adventure

After art experts from the Uffizzi and the Louvre confirmed that the portrait brought to Florence was indeed Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, many Florentines hoped that “their” Lisa would remain in residence. However, the Italian government immediately began arrangements to deliver the painting to the French—and to do so “with a solemnity worthy of Leonardo and a spirit of happiness worthy of La Gioconda’s smile.” Read more →

Mona Lisa's Return to Florence

In 1913, two years after it was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris, Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece was recovered in a hotel room in Florence. This excerpt from Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered describes the dramatic scene Read more →

Saving "Mona Lisa"

A new one-hour French documentary, “The Man Who Saved the Louvre,” which won the Emmy Award 2015 in the Arts Programming, weaves archival footage with animation to tell the story of a daring rescue on the eve of WW II. Read more →