Although 2024 marks 505 years since the Italian painter’s death, the famous painting Mona Lisa is at the center of a French-Italian controversy. Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, exhibited in the Louvre since 1797 and in royal collections since 1516, has officially belonged to French heritage since it was acquired by Francis I. But since the end of April, the painting has been the subject of a request for restitution . Will the Mona Lisa be transferred to Italy? Will France lose one of its treasures? It is the will of the International Restitution Association, which contacted the Council of State to return the painting to Leonardo da Vinci’s heirs. Threatened with being removed from the Louvre, the painting has been the subject of heated debate since the request was made by the mysterious association, founded in 2021, whose headquarters and direction are unknown.
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