Digging for the Truth: "Atlantis"

Hi, Brooke:

According to the geneaology of my family, she was married to a Florentine
merchant by the last name of Zenobi/Girolami - the names are interchangeable.
The names can be found in the book "The Agony and the Ecstasy", by the way.

We are supposedly discendants of of Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, who was
finally overwhelmed by the Romans after valiantly fighting their armies for a
few years, after her husband's death. Out of respect for her valour, legend
goes, Marcus Aurelius brought her to Rome in 'golden chains' and ensconced
her in the villa outside of Rome, known today as the one that has the outdoor
water organ - I forget the name right now, but it is a famous site......

Getting back to the Mona Lisa, It seems that my ancestor commissioned the
portrait of his wife. By the way, recent studies (sorry, no link) that X-rays
show that she was originally wearing some white gauzy 'dress' that supposedly
was typical of women 'in the family way'.......

To make a long story short, this man was not happy with the results, so poor
Leonardo was stuck with it. And a good thing too!!! Let's face it, what do
'merchants' know about art, especially then? If he had accepted it, there is
a good chance that it would have ended up in the trash. Much to my disgust,
that's what my young mother did when her parents died (back in the 30's).

She dumped all our ancestors' portraits. She wasn't about to have all that
'old stuff' in her home..........

Yes, I was born and raised in Italy. I and my parents went to Canada when
I was almost 14. I have been in the USA since 1970.

I had the good fortune of going to school in both Italy and Canada.

Love and Peace,

Bianca