The Background of the Gioconda: Geomorphological and Historical Data from the Montefeltro Area (Tuscan–Emilian Apennines, Central Italy)

This work combines geomorphological and historical research to decode the landscape in the world’s most famous painting: the Gioconda. The background of the painting was analysed in detail, and numerous morphological correspondences with the Montefeltro area in Central Italy were found. The upper valley of the Senatello stream features the Fumaiolo Massif, renowned for its springs that feed the River Tiber. The region is composed of the limestones and sandstones of the San Marino and Monte Fumaiolo Formations, alongside clay formations from the “Valmarecchia Nappe”. This lithological variety, the intense fracturing of the limestone rocks, and climatic and tectonic events during the Middle to Upper Pleistocene produced a complex and varied geomorphology. The landscape is marked by large landslides and significant debris deposits, reflecting its recent evolution. The painting, as well as historical documents and Leonardo’s drawings from his time in the Romagna region, provide evidence of a large lake beneath Mount Aquilone. The area was affected by a significant change in the morphology of the slopes, probably caused by a landslide that occurred in the period 1500–1700, a period characterised by climatic and tectonic upheavals, which may have led to the disappearance of the lake.