hello,
a year or so ago, there was a news story about the discovery of a secret studio in a building (i think it was near santissima annunziata) in florence that supposedly was a studio where da vinci worked. the report said there were etchings on the walls. the building was supposed to have belonged to the family that had the daughter who was the model for the mona lisa. i haven't heard anything else since the initial reports.
does anyone know whether this exists or was it a hoax? grazie mille!

This is a brief version of the report you must be thinking of:

http://www.explora.rai.it/online/doc_news.asp?news_id=374

It's dated 2005. The Istituto Geografico Militare, as an Italian state institution, must be a respected organization. It might be mistaken, but it probably wouldn't publish a hoax.

The publication by Del Meglio listed on this page is probably about the same thing:

http://www.igmi.org/pubblicazioni/testi_culturali.php

But it too is dated 2005. And I was unable to find anything more recent...

eloise -
yes, thanks - its the information that i was referring to. i just think its so strange that if this truly is a studio of da vinci, you'd assume there would be lots more publicity. i would sure love to see it.
when i get to florence in may, i'll check into it further!
thanks once again.