Researchers have opened a centuries-old Florence tomb in a search for remains that could confirm the identity of the woman whose enigmatic smile Leonardo da Vinci immortalised in the “Mona Lisa“, one of the world’s most famous paintings.

A male apprentice, long-time companion and possible lover of Leonardo da Vinci was the main influence and a model for the Mona Lisa painting, an Italian researcher said.

Italian scientists are seeking to exhume the body of Leonardo da Vinci to conduct carbon and DNA testing.