Italy wants to ‘Take Back’ the Mona Lisa from France

The Mona Lisa, the world’s most famous painting, should be brought back home to Italy from France, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Wednesday, before clarifying he was just joking.

“I announce that we’re working with the French ambassador to take back the Mona Lisa,” Salvini said at a press conference to announce events commemorating 500 years since the death of the artist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci.
“It would be more convenient for everyone who wants to see her up close,” said Salvini.”Joking apart, obviously, we don’t need more international crises.”The painting, whose mysterious smile has long captivated artists and admirers, draws millions of people to the Louvre museum in the French capital each year.
On Wednesday the Italian government presented a wide-ranging schedule for celebrations to mark da Vinci’s death over the next year.