The Mona Lisa is a beautiful portrait painted by Leonardo DaVinci. She is one of the most famous paintings in the world. Leonardo painted her in Florence Italy, in 1503, and it took him three years to complete! Leonardo DaVinci was not only a painter, he was also an inventor, a scientist, a naturalist, and a lot more. The Mona Lisa is believed to have been a painting of either Lisa Gheradidni or La Gioconda. Another popular theory is that the Mona Lisa is in fact a painting as DaVinci as a woman! Scientists have matched up the self portrait of Leonardo and the Mona Lisa, and found that the facial features align perfectly! Although many people have ideas about who the woman Leonardo painted is, that will remain forever a mystery.