This novel is about the woman behind Leonardo da Vinci’s famous portrait. Lisa Gherardini is Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” Set against the backdrop of Florence during the Italian Renaissance, this novel goes into Mona Lisa’s background and her life under the rule of Lorenzo de Medici.
Over the years, historians have developed numerous theories about the subject of da Vinci’s painting. You know where I learned about most of it? The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown. But this novel by Jeanne Kalogridis is backed by terrific research that makes Mona Lisa even more intriguing and spectacular.
Charming and handsome Giuliano, the younger brother of Lorenzo de Medici, was assassinated in the Duomo of Florence, Santa Maria del Fiore, in 1478. Months later, Mona Lisa is born to a wealthy wool merchant and his wife, the beautiful but mentally unstable Madonna Lucrezia.
As a young girl, Mona Lisa is welcomed with open arms at the Medici estate, where she meets Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. She becomes close to Lorenzo and his young nephew Giuliano, named for his late uncle. Mona Lisa soon falls under Giuliano’s spell yet manages to capture his heart, much to her father’s chagrin. After all, he believes Mona Lisa shouldn’t at all associate with the Medici clan, mostly due to his involvement with lunatic prophet Girolamo Savonarola, who vows to destroy the Medici family and their “pagan ways.”
Shortly after her mother’s untimely death at the hands of Savonarola, Mona Lisa makes plans to marry and live with her love, Giuliano. Unfortunately, conspiracies against the House of Medici prevent the couple from living happily ever after, and Mona Lisa learns about secrets that could ultimately derail the future of Florence and her lover’s well-being.
Days after Mona Lisa is wed to Giuliano, he dies in battle. Upon learning about his death, Mona Lisa succumbs to her father’s wishes and marries the old, ugly, evil Francesco del Giocondo, who keeps Lisa imprisoned at his home. It’s there that Mona Lisa learns about her true background, and arranges secret meetings with Leonardo da Vinci to plan for a better future.
The real story behind Mona Lisa
All 515 pages of I, Mona Lisa are extremely engrossing. I couldn’t put this book down. I took it with me everywhere I went, reading it every chance I could.
The story moves along quite quickly, there are no lulls. I took lots of “time-outs” to Google some of the characters and events to learn more about them, particularly Lorenzo de Medici and Girolamo Savonarola. This is exactly why I love historical fiction. Novels like these make you view history in an entirely new light.
In my copy of this novel, which features an interview with Jeanne Kalogridis, she discusses her motivation behind choosing Mona Lisa as a subject. She talks about how the portrait of Mona Lisa was once extremely beautiful and resembled nothing of the botched, overly touched portrait that exists today. I found this interesting because I’ve never really been moved by Mona Lisa. She’s always seemed quite plain and unimpressive. But after reading this novel, I can finally see and appreciate the art for what it truly is.
Other books by Kalogridis include:
- Covenant with the Vampire (1994)
- The Scarlet Contessa (2010)
- The Inquisitor’s Wife (2013)
- The Orphan of Florence (2017)
Did you read this one, and if so, what did you think?
Last Updated on November 15, 2025 by Sarah Ann
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