The then-450-year-old painting was transported to the US on France (1962) in December 1962.
In 1911, Louvre employee Vincenzo Peruggia stole the Mona Lisa by entering the building during regular hours, hiding in a broom closet and walking out with it hidden under his coat after the museum had closed. Peruggia, an Italian, passionately believed that the painting should be returned to Italy for display in an Italian museum. Peruggia was caught several months later when he attempted to sell the masterpiece to Florence’s Uffizi Gallery. After being displayed in several cities across Italy, the Mona Lisa was returned to the Lourve in 1913. It’s unknown what ship, if any, transported the painting that time.
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