Vito Franco, professor of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Palermo (Italy), has carried out an examination of the portrait of the Mona Lisa or Gioconda painted by Leonardo Da Vinci to try to find out why the model died young of a heart attack . The scientist has carried out a detailed analysis of the physical characteristics of La Gioconda based on the representation of it in oil. And he has identified clear signs of an accumulation of fatty acids under the skin , a symptom of “stratospheric cholesterol levels.” In addition, the scientist claims to have detected a lipoma , a benign tumor, in his right eye.
“The disease exists within the body; the people portrayed in art reveal their physical appearance, the paintings tell us about their human vulnerability”, argues Vito Franco, who presented his conclusions at a medical conference in Palermo, in which he presented his diagnosis of various characters that appear in some of the most famous works of art of mankind. Among them he has been able to “consult” Michelangelo , thanks to his appearance in Raphael’s School of Athens , which has allowed him to conclude that the Renaissance sculptor, architect and painter could have suffered from kidney stones , as swollen knees would demonstrate of painting.
In addition, Vito Franco suggests that the Portrait of a Young Man by Boticelli indicates, by the elongated and thin fingers of its protagonist, that the young man in question could suffer from Marfan syndrome , a genetic disease that produces an unusual lengthening of the length of the legs. members of the sufferer.
