Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
The Italian historian Silvano Vinceti says that the bridge represented in the famous portrait of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is that of Romito di Laterina, in the province of Arezzo. The enigmatic bridge is visible to the right of the canvas, behind the Mona Lisa, and its identity has stirred heated debates for centuries.
"The bridge represented by Leonardo is in our opinion the bridge Romito or Ponte di Valle, of Etruscan-Roman origin. Currently only one arch of the bridge remains, but in the period between 1501 and 1503 it was in operation and was very busy," Vinceti said at a press conference on Wednesday.
According to Vinceti, at that time the bridge functioned as a shortcut that allowed to shorten several kilometers the journey between the cities to which Da Vinci moved frequently. In that period, the viaduct, located in the Arno Valley, had four arches and rested on two cliffs crossed by the sinuous course of the Arno River, as depicted in the painting of the Mona Lisa.
The historian also states that in the lower left part of the painting appear other geographical features that could have inspired the Renaissance painter and that he would have captured from his stay in that region. Vinceti, who is president of the National Committee for the Valorization of Historical, Cultural and Environmental Assets, argued his hypothesis based on new historical documents, images taken with a drone and the use of virtual reconstruction techniques of the viaduct structures.
Controversial locations
It has long been considered that the most likely candidates to have inspired Da Vinci were the medieval bridge of Bobbio, in the province of Piacenza, and that of Buriano, in that of Arezzo. "Our hypothesis seems more plausible and documented than others. The Bobbio bridge, on the other hand, has more than six arches, and the Buriano bridge has six. In addition, they are built on flat land," says Vinceti.
According to The Guardian, Vinceti’s theory caused much excitement in the town of Laterina, which has a population of about three thousand 500 inhabitants. “We must try to protect what is left of the bridge, and that will require funding," said Mayor Simona Neri. In turn, the authorities of Buriano must remove a sign that so far warns that their bridge is the one depicted in the famous painting. “There will be some rivalry; we will also have to put up a poster, "joked Neri. (RT) (Photo: Gettyimages.ru)
