Lisa del Giocondo
The story I read in a low distraction environment was about Lisa del Giocondo. She lived in 15th century Italy and is believed to be the woman portrayed in the Mona Lisa painting. Lisa was born in Florence, Italy to a well-to-do, but not necessarily wealthy, family. She married Francesco di Bartolomeo di Zanobi del Giocondo at the young age of 15. He was a prosperous silk and cloth merchant and many years her senior. It is believed Lisa and her husband loved each other because he took less dowry than was usually acceptable for their class in Italy. Lisa del Giocondo had five children together.
Like other families of means in Florence at the time, the Giocondo family were art lovers. Zanobi, Lisa’s husband, commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to paint her portrait. Leonardo took many years to complete the portrait and was never paid for it.
Lisa’s husband at his death bequeathed all his wealth and her dowry back to her, saying that she had always acted with a noble spirit and so he wanted to make sure that she had all her needs met.
Blograven 