German experts crack Mona Lisa smile

German academics believe that they have solved the famous mystery behind the identity of the "Mona Lisa," probably the most famous of Leonardo da Vinci's portraits. Lisa Gherardini, wife of a Florentine merchant matches the description from the study.

According to Yahoo News, historians have wondered if the smiling woman in the portrait may have been da Vinci's lover, mother, or the artist himself. Experts now say the dated notes written in the margins of a book by its owner in October 1503 have confirmed that Lida del Giocondo is the model of the portrait. According to a manuscript expert, All doubts about the identity of the Mona Lisa have been eliminated by a discovery by Dr. Armin Schlechter. Only "scant evidence" from these 16th century documents has been available. The notes made by Florentine city official Agostino Vespucci was in a collection of lettes by the Roman orator Cicero. Comments compared of Leonardo to the ancient Greek artist Apelles have said he was working on three paintings, one of them a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo. Art experts have said that the discovery is a breakthrough and a link to the merchant's wife to the portrait.