"A genius immortalized her. A French king paid a fortune for her. An emperor coveted her. No face has ever captivated so many for so long. Every year more than nine million visitors trek to her portrait in the Louvre. Yet while everyone recognizes her smile, hardly anyone knows her story. This book rests on the premise that the woman in the Mona Lisa is indeed the person identified in its earliest description: Lisa Gherardini (1479-1542), wife of the Florence merchant Francesco del Giocondo. Dianne Hales has followed facts wherever she could find them -- from the Florence State Archives, to the squalid street where she was born, to the ruins of the convent where she died." -- Provided by publisher.

Based on research by Giuseppe Pallanti, author of La Vera Identità della Gioconda. Milan: Skira Editore, 2006.

Una donna vera = A real woman -- Gherardini blood (59 B.C.-1478). Fires of the heart ; A voice without a face ; "Who would be happy-- " -- Una Fiorentina (1479-1499). Daughter of the Renaissance ; Money and beauty ; The business of marriage ; The merchant's wife -- A new century (1500-1512). New beginnings ; The portrait in progress ; Family matters -- The Medici triumphant (1513-1579). The rise of the lions ; The Great Sea -- The most famous paintings in the world.The adventures of Madame Lisa ; The last smile.