Scientists are close to finding the remains of the model for the Mona Lisa in an old tomb in Florence, Italy. They believe the skeleton of Lisa Gioconda, the wife of a 16th-century merchant, is there. Silvano Vinceti, head of an Italian cultural heritage group, plans to test the DNA of the bones to find out if she is the woman behind that famous smile. Mr Vinceti will then use a computer graphics program to make a face from the skull and compare it to the painting.

Leonardo da Vinci's painting has fascinated art experts and ordinary people. Vinceti said that for centuries, historians have had many theories about the mysterious woman. He asks whether Gioconda was the model for the Mona Lisa or was it another model, or just the painter's fantasy. A geologist said the research team is lucky because there are many bones all placed in order. They also have a nameplate saying they belong to the Gioconda family.