Historian Silvano Vincheti argues that the Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci on the floor of the Romito di Laterina bridge, a structure spanning the Arno River in the Tuscan city of Arezzo. This claim adds a surprising twist to the long-standing debates about the painting’s setting and origins. The bridge, positioned in Arezzo and crossing the Arno, has historically been described as a bustling thoroughfare, and Vincheti’s assertion invites a fresh look at the landscape surrounding the famous portrait. Guard reports have circulated about this theory, though it remains a point of scholarly contention rather than a settled conclusion.
In support of his view, Vincheti conducted a careful review of historical documents, supplemented by drone footage and a detailed comparison between the Mona Lisa and photographs of the Romito di Laterina area. He notes that the painting behind the left shoulder of the Gioconda captures the ancient bridge as it appeared in the early 16th century, rather than the Buriano or Bobbio bridges, which some scholars have suggested as possible locales. This interpretation rests on observed features and on the alignment of the left shoulder with a specific segment of the span that Vincheti identifies as Romito di Laterina.
Vincheti asserts that the Romito di Laterina bridge is characterized by four arches, a count that agrees with his reading of the Mona Lisa’s composition. By contrast, the Buriano and Bobbio bridges are described in historical and architectural records as possessing six or more arches. He adds that only a single arch of the painted bridge has survived into modern times, a clue that could support a reconstruction of the original setting while underscoring the enduring mystery surrounding the artwork’s backdrop.
According to archival materials associated with the Medici family, Romito di Laterina functioned as a busy and active crossing between 1501 and 1503. During this period, Leonardo da Vinci reportedly moved through the Val d’Arno region in service to Cesare Borgia and later to the Florentine statesman Piero Soderini. The bridge’s strategic position would have shortened travel for the artist as he moved among Arezzo, Florence, and Fiesole, offering a practical reason for such a landmark to appear in a work created during this time. The historical record thus situates the Romito di Laterina as more than a mere backdrop; it places it at the center of the artist’s itineraries and the logistical networks of Renaissance Tuscany.
Earlier reports have claimed that scientists have uncovered the hidden meanings within Leonardo’s paintings and those of other Renaissance masters. Vincheti’s interpretation contributes to this ongoing discussion by proposing a specific architectural setting for the Mona Lisa, inviting readers to reexamine the painting through the lens of the landscape that surrounded the artist during his Florentine years. While the debate continues, the Romito di Laterina hypothesis enriches the broader conversation about how location and travel influenced Leonardo’s creative process and the way viewers engage with his most famous portrait. This perspective encourages scholars to integrate architectural history, topographical analysis, and archival documentation when assessing the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic backdrop. (Attribution: Medici archival records; contemporary architectural studies; Vincheti’s field notes)