Italian scientists have been fascinated with Leonardo da Vinci for a long time now.They have conjectured about how he died, whether the remains thought to be his really are and whether the “Mona Lisa” was a self-portrait. These fascinations,though, have gone too far—scientists are now spearheading a movement to allow the exhumation of da Vinci’s body and conduct tests on it in an effort to get some answers to these mysteries.

First,experts think that if the skull is intact, they could recreate its virtual copy and then reconstruct the face. Once complete, they could compare it to the painting to decide whether it’s really the artist in disguise.

Experts are unclear on what they will find in the grave. Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist participating in the project has stated that: “We don't know what we'll find if the tomb is opened, we could even just find grains and dust. But if the remains are well kept,they are a biological archive that registers events in a person's life, and sometimes in their death."

Leaders of the group of scientists heading up the exhumation, Silvano Vinceti, are pressing their case to French officials in charge of the burial site at Amboise Castle next week.

What little is known about da Vinci’s final years is that he died at the age of 67in France in 1519 having served out the end of his days as the “First Painter”to the King.  The artist’s original burial place, the church of St. Florentine, was destroyed during the French Revolution and the remains were purportedly reburied in the Saint-Hubert Chapel near the castle.

This isn’t the first time that scientists have made moves to examine da Vinci’s body. In 2004, another group sought to study the remains in an effort to determine his cause of death and answer some questions about his life. The Amboise Castle rejected that request.

The “mystery” of the Mona Lisa continues to fascinate people. In 2003, a group called the National Committee for Historical and Artistic Heritage was formed to try to solve this “enigma.” The painting itself hangs in the Louvre and draws about 8.5 million visitors a year. Much speculation surrounds the piece: whether it’s a wife of a Florentine merchant, the artist’s own mother, a self-portrait in disguise or even something much more kinky, like a concealed androgynous lover.

Some have used the artist’s self-portrait and superimposed it over the “Mona Lisa” to show how the facial features perfectly align. Others dispute the similarities vigorously.

Disturbing the gravesite is no small task. The scientists intend to use a mini –camera and ground-penetrating radar to confirm the presence of bones. Once that is confirmed, the scientists would then exhume them and proceed with carbon testing.

So, let’s assume that there are bones there and that carbon testing is completed. How can the scientists complete a DNA test, as planned, if there are no comparisons? There are no known direct descendants of the artist or any tombs with his relatives that could be tested for a DNA match.

The best case scenario is that the skull is intact. Is this all really worth it? We already have a self-portrait of the artist. We know what he looked like. What more do we need to know about that? The recreation of a virtual model of his head would yield little more than a three-dimensional version of his self-portrait!

Disturbing the final resting place of anyone should scarcely be allowed. Let the dead rest in peace. There is simply no need for this sort of study. There are far more important things to research and to devote time and money towards other than disinterring and studying someone who has died. As far as I am concerned, once buried, someone should only be subject to exhumation and study if 1) they themselves sanctioned the study of their body or 2) if it’s necessary for some sort of criminal legal matters.

Ultimately, so what if the mysteries of the painting and the artist’s life are revealed? There’s no point to this. Da Vinci is such a popular painter and a great topic of debate for scholars precisely because so little is known for certain about him and because of the enigmas surrounding his life and death.