Finding the Real 'Mona Lisa' - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.

Archaeologists in Italy may have found the well preserved remains of Lisa Gherardini who was the inspiration for one of the most famous paintings of all time: the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. The lead archaeologist on the dig, Silvano Vinceti, said that further tests must be carried out to determine the true identity of the body, including a DNA sample, carbon dating, and digital facial reconstruction based on the well preserved skull. He noted: “It is the culmination of all our work, where we're getting close to answering the key question, 'Will we or will we not find Lisa Gherardini's remains?'” The team of researchers started digging at the convent in Florence, Italy where they found the earthly remains, after discovering that Gherardini stayed there with her two daughters before she died.
Gheradini’s husband was a rich silk merchant and is said to have commissioned the portrait that his wife is believed to be the model for. The Mona Lisa painting is hanging at the Louvre in Paris, and was painted over five hundred years ago by one of the masters of renaissance era painting, Leonardo da Vinci.